My SoCalled Mortal Life
by sirwayde
Summary: SEQUEL - After four years, Bella returns to Forks scarred by life with her sanity hanging by a thread. Can Bella and Jacob rekindle their feelings despite the dangerous changes in her life? And what about the Volturi and their new interest in her? J/B/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.  
**

This is the long awaited sequel to A Mortal Life. To my new readers, I seriously recommend that you read that story before starting this one.

To my regular readers, this story will be written in third person narrative. This will also be a large story and yes, there are OCs (Original Characters). MSCML picks up a year and several months after the final chapter of AML.

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Chapter 1

"_Don't do this. I'm begging you!" Taylor's voice cracked at the end, revealing his desperation._

"_This is my choice, Taylor. Nothing you can say will change my mind." Bella drew in a fortifying breath, steeling herself against his anger. _

_Hurt flashed in his eyes. "Nothing, huh? So what about me? What about us?"_

_Bella blinked back the tears stinging her eyes. Why couldn't he see how hard this was for her? Nothing about their situation was easy for her. She felt her resentment toward Alice grow because of the choice she was being forced to make now. If only Alice had kept her big mouth shut, Taylor wouldn't have been so scared._

"_Please try to understand. Everything will turn out fine. I just need you on my side." In her heart of hearts, Bella knew she was doing the right thing._

_There was a small flicker of doubt in his eyes. "But Alice said–"_

"_I don't care what Alice said," she snapped before softening, placing her hand over his heart. "I need your support, Taylor. I can survive this. We just need a little more time."_

"_Alice told us what she saw. You heard what Carlisle said. There's only one choice to make." Taylor practically radiated concern._

"_How can you ask me to do that? I won't do it… not even for you." She felt as if her heart was literally breaking in her chest._

_Silence descended between them as they gazed at each other. Both refused to back down because doing so would result in the death of something they cherished. No matter who won, it would be a lose/lose situation._

"_Well I guess there's only one thing left to say." Taylor drew in a breath. "It's over between us." It looked as if it physically hurt him to say those words._

"_You don't mean that." Bella shook her head in disbelief, her tears flowing freely. How could he abandon her now when she needed him most?_

_Taylor withdrew from her touch, leaving her feeling more alone than she'd felt in years. He wore a sad, tortured look on his face. "If you go through with this… I swear I will never forgive you."_

Bella was startled awaked by Taylor calling her name. His eyes shone with concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Memories of fear and grief faded as she glanced around the car. Taylor was sitting beside her in the backseat while Ryan drove to Forks with Liz riding shotgun.

"You all right there, Izzy." Ryan glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," Bella murmured, hating the quiver in her voice. The dreams always left her shaken.

As always Taylor quickly picked up on how rattled she was. He traded concern for wariness in an instant. Even Liz had turned around in her seat to observe Bella's reaction.

Bella didn't have to be a mind reader to know that Liz was using her empathic ability to read her emotions. They were all wondering if she could handle the upcoming visits to Charlie's and then to Leah's house.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Taylor placed his hand over hers and squeezed gently.

"Seriously, you guys. I'm fine." She mustered up a smile when, in truth, all she wanted to do was snap at them for staring at her. Immediately after those thoughts occurred, the usual wave of guilt followed. Her friends had moved to Washington for her, to give her some stability. Bella tried to tell herself that they were just worried about her. Still, their constant monitoring only added to her agitation.

They'd just flown in from Florida, subsequent to a weeklong stay at Renee's. After living with the Cullens for a year, Taylor decided that they all needed a change of scenery. Somewhere she could start over and put the past behind her. He was even buying her a house in Port Angeles so she could be closer to Charlie. There was no end to the distance Taylor would go to ensure her happiness.

Unable to bear the weight of Taylor's scrutiny, Bella turned away from him and gazed out her window. Though Taylor had good reasons for his watchfulness, Bella still struggled with feelings of resentment.

With everything that happened between them a year ago, Bella's relationship with Taylor was still on shaky ground. The first hit came after Alice and Carlisle explained the reason for their visit, the second came when Bella decided to come clean with her friends concerning the Cullens being vampires and the Volturi. Taylor had stayed with her through it all. And except for the tiny incident where Taylor threw Edward through a window, both men eventually learned to tolerate each other.

She closed her eyes, leaned her head against the glass and thought about her dream. Even in sleep, she was still being haunted by the painful memories of last year. She didn't know how to begin to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. How was she supposed to move forward when all she wanted to do was go back? Back to a time when she had everything she'd ever wanted. Back to a time when life made sense to her.

When Bella reopened her eyes, she was greeted by the familiar scenery of Forks. As it was still early, there wasn't much in the way of vehicular or pedestrian traffic. As they drove pass the Newton's store, she wondered if it was still being ran by Mrs. Newton. The town of Forks had hardly changed at all in the four years she'd been gone. And yet, everything had changed for her in that time.

Bella tore her attention away from the neighborhood to give Ryan directions to Charlie's house. They had to park in the street as there wasn't any room in the driveway, which was currently occupied by Charlie's police cruiser and Sue's Scion.

With a gentle hand, Taylor helped her out of the car and Liz smiled at her. "So, this is where you grew up?"

Bella nodded with a pasted on smile. No. She didn't grow up in Forks. It was where she'd lost herself. Where she'd become so wrapped up in love that she forgot who she used to be. She'd done all her growing up in Hanover, the cruel, harsh way.

They climbed up the stairs and the front door swung open before they could knock. Sue stood there with a kind smile on her face. "Hello, Bella," she said and then shouted over her shoulder. "They're here!"

She let them in and Charlie came around the corner when the introductions were finished.

A range of emotions flickered across Charlie's face when his eyes landed on Bella, before settling on relief. Without a second thought, Bella went to Charlie and threw her arms around him. He embraced her with a quiet sigh and allowed himself to finally relax. His little girl had finally come home, safe and sound. A father couldn't ask for more than that.

Charlie stepped back, blinking the moisture away from his eyes. His voice was gruff when he spoke. "How was your visit with Renee?"

"She spent the entire visit fussing over me and then she almost kept me from getting on the plane," Bella only half-joked. Her crisis did what motherhood and two marriages had failed to do. It forced Renee to grow up.

"We were just about to sit down and have breakfast. Are you kids hungry?" Sue asked and a famished Ryan practically knocked Taylor out of the way to get to the kitchen.

The scent of bacon made her mouth water. She'd been too anxious to eat or sleep on the plane.

Bella glanced around her, noticing Sue's influence all over the kitchen. The cupboards and walls had been repainted, new curtains hung by the windows. For the first time the kitchen's atmosphere felt warm and inviting.

Charlie and Sue were mildly surprised when Bella passed over the scrambled eggs and bacon in favor of oatmeal and nonfat milk. Her friends didn't even bat an eyelash as they were already used to her newly adopted eating habits.

Bella covertly observed Sue and Charlie's interact. The little smiles, the gentle hand pats. They were like an old married couple, content and settled. She wanted that for them.

Her father had come a long way over the past year. He still had trouble believing that the Cullens were all vampires. Bella had confessed everything to him soon after his hasty arrival in Hanover. She'd left out the werewolf involvement as much as she could. He'd experienced a multitude of emotions; from disbelief to shock and then finally wary acceptance. The vein in his forehead had begun to throb dangerously when it dawned on him that he almost had a vampire for a son-in-law. He'd been understandably angry at her for endangering her life and then lying to him about it. But his anger had rapidly dissipated once he took another look at her frail body.

"Where's Seth?" Bella inquired, sprinkling raisins on her oatmeal.

"Still asleep. He got in late last night." Sue commented vaguely and Bella interpreted that to mean Seth was exhausted from late night patrol.

"Sounds like somebody had a hot date." Ryan grinned and Liz wrinkled her nose when he went back to shoveling eggs into his mouth.

"He was most likely working late." Charlie took a long drink of coffee before setting it down beside his plate.

"I didn't know Seth had a job." Bella seemed genuinely surprised.

"We talked about it a couple of days ago. Don't you remember?" Charlie frowned in concern and all heads turned to look at her.

"I must have forgotten," Bella murmured softly, dropping her gaze in embarrassment.

"Yes… of course. You had a lot going on at the time." Charlie exchanged doleful glances with Taylor.

An uncomfortable silence settled, until Sue mercifully spoke up. "Seth runs a small garage down on the res." Her words hung in the air.

_Seth ran his own garage?_

Bits and pieces of that conversation with Charlie began to float back to her. Charlie had cosigned a business loan with Seth, enabling him to open his own garage five months ago.

Once upon a time, Jacob had wanted to open his own garage. She wondered if he worked with Seth and then quickly shoved those thoughts out of her mind. He'd made it clear that he didn't want to have anything to do with her. Besides, thoughts about Jacob Black always seemed to have a terrible effect on her temper.

After breakfast they into the living room to catch up. Ryan and Liz did most of the talking when Sue steered the conversation toward their recent graduation. Eventually Bella began to withdraw from the discussion happening around her and gazed out the window. She had nothing to contribute because she didn't graduate.

Across the room, Charlie joined Taylor as he leaned against the wall, observing Bella.

"How is she doing?" Charlie kept his voice low so Bella wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation. He had been so worried about her these past few months. Ever since Taylor called him up out of the blue, saying that Bella needed him, his blood pressure had been through the roof. He never imagined how much heartache fatherhood would bring him.

"She says she's fine." Taylor lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

"Do you believe her?" Charlie raised a questioning eyebrow.

Taylor went to say something, but then reconsidered it. There was no need to worry Charlie, not yet anyway. "She's having a good day."

"I thought her memory loss was getting better." Charlie didn't want to say it out loud, but he was especially bothered by the occasional blankness in Bella's eyes.

"It is. She has lapses every now and again, but Carlisle said things should get better." Taylor hoped that Carlisle was right. Each day he felt her drifting further and further away.

"She still won't talk about it?"

"No." Taylor's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "I'm thinking about taking her to see someone."

"You mean like a shrink? Do you think that's necessary?" Charlie was skeptical. He didn't think Bella would go for that. When it came to sharing feelings, she was like him. Content to keep it all on the inside.

"Even though she tries to hide it from me, I can see how angry she still is over everything that happened. That's anger she can't afford to have right now, Charlie. She's far too unstable for that." Taylor turned his attention back to Bella, more worried than he was willing to admit.

Almost as if she sensed their gaze, Bella's eyes scanned the room until she found them. Her face remained expressionless as she stared and Taylor's frown deepened. One tentative smile from Bella was all it took to make that wrinkle on his forehead disappear. Charlie laughed quietly to himself, that poor boy doesn't stand a chance. Bella had him wrapped around her little finger. There would be no psychiatrist if she didn't want it.

Moments later they heard the distinct sounds of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Bella looked up just in time to see a very grown up Seth tugging a t-shirt down over his sculpted abs. Seth Clearwater was most definitely a man now. The hardness in his features, his height and physique brought up too many old memories. Unwanted memories.

Sue introduced Seth to everyone and Liz slipped Bella a sly smile. Obviously Liz found Seth attractive, but little did she know that he was just the tip of the iceberg.

Bella stood and carefully schooling her face to only show playfulness. "Look who's grown up."

Seth's face broke into an easy going smile as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. "Well, if it isn't my little sister."

"Little? I'm older than you." Bella laughed.

"Debatable."

"I don't think four years is debatable, Seth," Bella joked, and then had to choke back a gasp when he hugged her. She'd forgotten how it felt to be enfolded in warmth.

Seth's grin slipped a fraction when he inhaled her scent. Mindful of their audience, Seth inhaled again, trying to identify the smell. It wasn't something she put on. The scent was actually infused in her body. Over Bella's shoulder, his eyes met Sue's briefly in silent question. What had his mother and Charlie been keeping from him? Why did Bella smell so _wrong_?

Seth's eyes skimmed over her body as she stepped back. She fidgeted under his searching gaze and asked, "What?"

"Nothing. You just look different, that's all."

"Yeah, I gained a little weight." She was still a little self-conscious about that. Over the past year, she managed to gain twenty-five pounds and only recently lost fifteen of them.

"Really? I didn't notice. I was talking about your hair." He smiled again but this time it was a strained one.

Even though Bella sensed the odd look from him had to do with more that just her hair, she couldn't help but grimace. Oh great. Her hair was another thing she struggled not to be insecure about.

Once again, Sue came to the rescue. "Seth, there's still some breakfast in the kitchen if you're still hungry."

"We should probably head over to Leah's now." Taylor–sensing Bella's growing discomfort–pushed himself off the wall and strolled over to where she stood.

Seth's eyes narrowed in speculation, watching as Taylor gave Bella's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. He wondered how Jacob would react to seeing that. True, their relationship was over and had been for four years now. Still Seth couldn't help but think that Bella's homecoming was going to cause all sorts of problems.

When Seth hugged Bella goodbye, he whispered something in her ear that made her smile.

On the walk back to the car, Liz hooked an arm around Bella's and asked what Seth said to her. "He said, _better late than never_."

Nostalgia washed over Bella as they drove to Leah's house. As the Port Angles house was still in escrow, they'd accepted when Leah offered them a place to stay. Leah's business offer was part of the reason she decided to move back to Washington. At a time when Bella felt like she had nothing, it gave her something to hold onto. It made her feel as if she still had a future to look forward to.

After parking the car, Ryan and Taylor went to get their suitcases. Bella stepped out of the car and froze. The weirdest sensation washed over her and she found herself scanning the tree line next to the house. Her pulse spiked when her eyes landed on a shadow in the dense foliage of the forest. She squinted, trying to determine if it was a tree or… something else.

She started when Taylor asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I thought…" Bella glanced at Taylor but when she turned back to the forest, the shadow wasn't there anymore. "Nothing." Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her. It wouldn't have been the first time she had a hallucination.

They climbed the steps and the front door swung open before they could knock. "About time you guys got here." Zach greeted them with a smile. His stay at Leah's house would only be temporary. If Zach landed the ranger job up at Lake Crescent, he would be moving into the Port Angeles house with his friends.

"They're here, Lee!" Zach shouted, unaware that Leah had already heard their car pulling up to the house. Bella knew that Leah had to keep up appearances because she _still_ hadn't told Zach that she was a werewolf.

It was difficult for Bella to resist rolling her eyes when Leah rounded the corner with a look of surprise painted on her face. _An Oscar worthy performance indeed_, Bella thought with a small smirk.

A strange look crossed Leah's face, before she covered it up by commenting on Bella's hair. "Well, this is new."

"Yeah." Bella reached up and fingered a lock of hair self-consciously.

"Jeez. Would you tell her it looks fine? She never believes us when we tell her," Liz said.

Leah gave it a shot. "That color looks nice on you. It makes you look paler."

"Thanks," Bella muttered dryly and a sly smile tugged on the corner of Leah's mouth.

Giving compliments was never Leah's strong suit. "Come on. I'll show you guys where you'll be squatting for the next few days."

"So much for hospitality," Bella remarked sarcastically and Leah barked out a laugh. Leah was beginning to like this new sharp-witted Bella, who had no problems saying whatever popped into her head.

She led them upstairs and Zach went back to watching his favorite show, _Mad Men_. Stopping in front of a doorway, Leah gestured to the room that would belong to Liz and Ryan. Then she led Taylor and Bella into the room next door. Taylor set their suitcases on the floor next to the bed and noticed Leah and Bella standing quietly.

"I'll go see what Zach's doing." That was his way of giving them privacy to talk.

He left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

"Why do you smell like that?" Leah asked pointblank.

"Like what?"

"I don't know…" She stiffened when Leah leaned forward and actually sniffed the air around her.

Bella silently cursed. She'd forgotten that werewolves would also be able to detect the difference in her smell. Although, she'd taken extra care to ensure that no one noticed any changes in her appearance, her scent was one thing she had no control over. The Cullens had mentioned her altered scent, but Carlisle had assured her that it was only temporary.

Apart from the gang and the Cullens, Emily and Angela were the only people that knew what had happened to her. And while Leah was one of her closest friends, she'd finally gotten to a place where all she wanted was to put the past behind her. She wasn't ready to talk about it with anyone.

While appearing calm on the outside, Bella scrambled for a logical response.

"Well, I'm fresh off a seven hour flight with one layover, so I'm guessing that's what you're smelling," she joked lightly.

Leah shook her head distractedly. "No, that's not it. I'd be able to tell the difference between you stinking up the place and you smelling like… _that_." She wrinkled her nose.

"I don't know what to tell you." Bella shrugged lazily, appearing as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Leah sighed roughly. "Fine, be mysterious. I just want to make sure you're not going to keel over on me until we get our business off the ground."

"Your concern for my wellbeing is heartwarming, but you don't have to worry about me taking a dirt nap anytime soon." _I hope_, she added silently.

Reluctantly reassured by Bella's words, Leah left and Taylor returned a couple of minutes later with a glass of water.

Feeling a deep weariness settle in her bones, Bella sank onto the bed and removed her shoes. "What's the water for?"

Taylor set the glass down on the nightstand, knelt down and rifled through her suitcase until he found what he was looking for.

"You haven't taken your pills today."

"Can't I take them tomorrow?" Chugging down pills was the last thing she felt like doing right now.

Taylor shook his head stubbornly. "Carlisle said you need to take them every day. Just be grateful Leah doesn't have the ingredients to make your special smoothie."

This wouldn't have been the first time they'd had a fight over her refusal to adhere to Carlisle's treatment plan. Knowing that she'd never win, Bella stifled her arguments and took her medication without further complaint.

"You look tired." Taylor's face creased with concern.

"Just what every girl wants to hear." Bella smiled sardonically.

"You didn't sleep on the plane. Get some rest and I'll wake you later."

Too tired to protest, Bella settled on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

Hours later Bella was awakened by fingers brushing against her cheek. "Time to get up." Taylor smiled weakly as he stared down at her.

She rolled onto her back and smothered a yawn. "Already?"

The rest had done some good. Her body felt reenergized and she was grateful that her sleep had been dreamless. But she'd worked up a sweat and was now in need of a bath.

Bella went to undress in the bathroom and tried not to cringe when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. As always the sight of her reflection filled her with a sadness that made her eyes sting. She stood shivering, letting her tears mix in with the cold spray of the shower.

When Bella was finished, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She opened the bathroom door and stopped in her tracks.

Taylor was still sitting on the bed and didn't show any signs of leaving. She forced her body to walk into the room, telling herself that she was being silly. Taylor had seen Bella at her absolute worse. It shouldn't have mattered that he was here now, but it did. She needed to find a way to get used to him seeing her naked again.

Trying not to rush, she felt his eyes following her as she toweled off and searched for clothes. Bella wondered if she looked as hideous to him as she did to herself.

After dressing, she stood in front of the mirror, fussing with her hair. Despite her newly developed dislike for mirrors, Bella had learned one thing was true. If she could make herself appear fine on the outside, people would be more inclined to believe that she was okay on the inside.

Without warning, pain flared up in her hands and the brush slipped from her grasp.

"Are you in pain?" Taylor's brows knitted in perpetual worry.

"No. It's just a little numbness this time." The lie rolled smoothly off her tongue.

Sometimes it amazed her how good she'd gotten at it. In the past, lying would've made her feel guilty, but over the past year it had become a necessity. Her friends had suffered enough. None of them needed to know that she sometimes felt like she was circling the drain. She'd do everything in her power to keep her private agony to herself.

"Go sit on the bed." He opened a suitcase and dug around until he found what she needed.

He sat beside her, opened the jar and began to massage the ointment into her hands. Bella gritted her teeth against the sharp pain his touch brought. The pain gradually lessened as the ointment's burning sensation began to take effect. By the time Taylor was done, she could flex her fingers again with only a slight amount of pain.

"Are your feet numb too?" Taylor asked when he was finished with her hands.

"No. They're fine." At least she had that to be grateful for.

She waited by to door while Taylor washed the medicine off his hands, after commenting on how much it burned him. Try as she might, Bella couldn't help but feel responsible for his discomfort. Her chronic guilt was like an uncontrollable disease that ate at her constantly. A small part of her guilt came from not knowing if they'd ever have a normal life again. The remainder of her heartache stemmed from not knowing how to tell Taylor that the woman he loved was dead and gone… maybe forever.

But those were private thoughts she didn't have the courage to voice. She couldn't bring herself to burden Taylor with her fears. He was struggling with his own demons. By the time Taylor emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing a calm smile on her face.

Bella's friends immediately clammed up the moment they saw her coming down the stairs.

_Real smooth, guys,_ she thought bitterly. _I'd_ _never guess you were just talking about me_.

Bella decided to break the awkward silence. "Where's Leah?"

"She took off after a mysterious phone call, saying she'd be back later." Despite Zach's nonchalant attitude, Bella could tell he was bothered by Leah's sudden disappearance. She was also wondering where Leah had gone.

Bella's ass had barely hit the sofa before Liz said, "Alice called… _again_. When are you going to talk to her, Izzy? She really misses you."

"I… I just can't deal with her right now." Alice was the last thing she wanted to talk about. The day Alice took Taylor's side over hers was the day their friendship died.

Liz's expression morphed into stubbornness. "But–"

"Leave it alone, Liz." Taylor's voice was low, but the warning in his tone was unmistakable.

Liz opened her mouth to come to Alice's defense yet again, but one look from Ryan told her that now was not the time to press the issue. She decided to move onto a safer topic. "Anyway, I talked to Rosalie and they're enjoying their vacation in Japan. She said there's a Japanese company that makes an incredible herbal shampoo. She's going to send you a box of the stuff."

Being friends with Rosalie still took some getting used to. After Alice's betrayal it was Rosalie who stepped in to offer Bella support. By then, Alice didn't have time to repair their badly damaged friendship as she'd been far too busy, pouring over medical journals with Carlisle and Edward.

"I'm glad their having a good time. They deserve it." Bella smiled.

After receiving the all clear from Carlisle, Bella had an understandable desire to put as much distance between her and Hanover as possible. So she could identify with the Cullens' need to do the same. Her crisis had almost succeeded in tearing their family apart when they were forced to take sides. This trip to Japan was an opportunity to repair that rift. Only Carlisle and Esme had decided to stay in Hanover.

"Oh and you just missed Emily's call."

"Emily called?" Bella frowned.

"Yeah, she wanted to invite us over to her place–if you're not too tired." Liz quickly added.

Bella had to bite her tongue against a sarcastic remark. Too tired? She just woke up from a nap for crying out loud.

She forced herself to smile. "I'm up for it if you guys are."

The prospect of seeing Emily boosted her spirits.

Taylor blocked Bella path when everyone else left the house. "Are you up for this visit?" he asked, his green eyes studying her face intently.

Bella stifled her protests when Taylor swept the hair off her shoulder, and pressed his cool fingers against the pulse in her neck. He knew she didn't like it but he wasn't willing to take any chances. If her pulse was too high, she was staying home. No arguments.

Drawing in a breath, Bella tried to relax the tenseness in her body. She knew she'd never get out of the house without his approval. "I'm fine." This time she couldn't keep the defensiveness out of her tone.

Taylor regarded her in silence and then scowled. "It's a little fast."

Bella sighed quietly, understanding that she'd catch more flies with honey than vinegar. They'd been together long enough for her to know what made him tick. In knowing how his mind worked, she'd discovered the secret he'd tried so hard to keep hidden; that she was his biggest weakness. She had no qualms when it came to exploiting that chink in his armor.

Her lashes came down and when they lifted back up again, she'd undergone a subtle transformation. A moment ago, she was drowning in despair. Now, she drew on her strength as a woman, wielding a power she seldom used.

She moved forward, and placed her hands on his chest, peering up at him through her lashes. His hands automatically went to her hips and pulled her closer until she was pressed against him. Though he appeared to be the very picture of calm, she felt his heart thudding away beneath her palms.

"Please, Taylor. I just want to get together and reminisce with a few old friends. I promise I'll keep the emotional spikes to a minimum." She paused and continued when she still sensed his hesitancy. "Liz will have her feelers out. She'll be the first to know if I have another _episode_. We'll leave if I can't handle it." Her lips quirked into a hopeful smile.

Taylor studied her face silently, going over the risks in his mind. He was sure she knew what was at stake. She wouldn't jeopardize her progress just for a visit with people who didn't even know her anymore. As much as he would've liked to keep her in quarantine, she needed some freedom.

"Fine." Taylor finally agreed, though he still had some reservations.

The smile she gave him then was mysterious and utterly female. It lit his heart. It had been a long time since he'd gotten a genuine smile out of her. Little by little his Isabella was coming back to him.

Overcome with relief and happiness, Taylor yanked her to him and crushed her lips in a fierce kiss. She was left gasping when he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"Wow. It's been a while since you kissed me like that. Almost makes me want to stay in." She gazed up at him, lips slightly parted, the flush of pink in her cheeks.

Their conversation was cut short by the obnoxious honking from the car out front. "Sometime today, you guys!" Ryan shouted rudely.

They parted and Bella tugged on his hand, smiling wryly. "Come on, Spanish man. We have places to be."

On the ride to Emily's, Bella was bewildered by the nervous fluttering in her stomach. Except for the fact that she was about to introduce her past life to her present, she had no reason to be nervous. Knowing how she felt about Jacob, Emily wouldn't have invited her of he was going to be there. She heard Zach giving the others the _don't stare at Emily's scars_ speech and smiled. Everything would be fine.

"Hey, Izzy. How many people are supposed to be at this thing?" Ryan inquired from the front seat.

Emily would probably host a small get-together, so they could sit and catch up on each other's lives. Bella wasn't expecting more than a couple of people. "I don't know two or three. Why?"

"_That's_ why." Ryan parked the car and climbed out.

_What fresh hell is this?_

At some point, Taylor must have guided her from the car because the next thing she knew, she was on her feet, staring at what was starting to look like a frigging ambush.

A considerably large group of werewolves were gathered next to the house. And each of them was staring at Bella and her friends with rapt attention. Though, most of their interests were entirely focused on Bella. Some of the glances stemmed from curiosity while others were mildly hostile. She recognized a few faces in the crowd, but most of them were unfamiliar to her. Clearly, the pack had grown in her absence.

Then her eyes were pulled, as if by magnet, to the man she'd hoped never to see again.

Only a blind person would've missed him. Even in a crowd of werewolves, Jacob Black stood like a giant among men. His tautly muscled body appeared to have grown since she last saw him. She could almost feel the undercurrents of the Alpha's power from where she stood. His dark hair, which was just as thick as she remembered, framed the harsh lines of his face. His arrogant mouth firmed, lips thinning in disapproval at the sight of her. Bella almost flinched at the barely concealed fury she found in his dark eyes.

_Remember_, she told herself. _Remember, he doesn't give a damn about your being alive._ Bella struggled to suppress the black rage tightening in her own chest.

So her being here upset him, did it? Well, that was too damn bad. She wasn't exactly moistening with excitement to see him either.

She took a deep, calming breath, fighting against the wave of rage that threatened to make her lose all sense of reason. If she didn't regain control of her emotions, Liz would alert Taylor and he'd make her go back to the house. She had to prove that she could remain composed.

Through sheer force of will, she bridled her contempt and chanted the word _calm_ over and over in her mind.

Just when Bella thought she'd wrestled herself back from the precipice of darkness, an obnoxious voice sneered, "Well, look at what we have here. The prodigal bitch returns."

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**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and the new writing style.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what happened and still happening to Bella.

Who's the person that confronted her?

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	2. A Total Sausage Fest

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

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Chapter 2

The morning sky was lit with the light of dawn when Jacob opened his eyes. He wasn't sure what jerked him out of his sleep. His much needed, hard to come by sleep. Expanding his senses, he laid still and listened to the silence of the house. Wolf instinct told him that no one had trespassed in his lair. Still, his nerves remained unsettled. He just could not shake the feeling that something was different. Breathing out an irritated sigh, he debated whether to go back to sleep or not.

A soft snort drew his attention and Carmen rolled over on her side, dark hair covering her closed eyes. Jacob smiled and gently brushed the hair from her face. She'd dragged herself in an hour ago, exhausted from working the third shift at the hospital.

Despite closing his eyes and trying to relax, Jacob was too wired to sleep. It was almost time for him to get up anyway. Taking care not to wake Carmen, he slipped from the bed and into the bathroom for a quick shower. Afterward he moved around their bedroom as quietly as possible. As angelic as she always looked in sleep, he knew there'd be hell to pay if he disturbed her rest. He could safely say that Carmen was _not_ a morning person.

Jacob crept from their bedroom and closed the door quietly behind him. He journeyed downstairs to his kitchen and stood in front of the almost empty refrigerator. He warmed up the leftover meatloaf from two nights ago and left another note, reminding Carmen to go to the store.

Sitting at the dinner table, Jacob ate his meal in contented silence. Although it had been six months, he still hadn't gotten used to the knowledge that this was his house. The house that he'd spent four years saving for. The house he and his brothers had built with their own hands.

His mind traveled back to the first time he saw Carmen.

He'd tried his best to stay away from her, but he'd underestimated Carmen's determination to win a place in his heart. She'd pursued him with a single-minded purpose that was both flattering and a little scary. It became a source of amusement for the pack to watch Jacob being chased as everyone had become so used to him being the pursuer. Their pastime had involved teasing him and placing bets on how long it'd take for him to cave. He'd tried everything to fight his growing attraction to her, but in the end it made no difference. Sam's prediction came true and Jacob just couldn't help but love her. Still a miniscule part of him wondered if he gave in too soon.

All he had were his memories of Bella. And memories didn't laugh at his jokes, or hold him close or kiss him goodnight. Memories couldn't love him in the way he deserved, and he eventually came to realize that neither could Bella. There was something broken in her that he couldn't fix and the urge to try diminished with each passing year.

Bella belonged to his past and as Alpha and a leader in his community, he couldn't afford to linger there anymore. He made the conscious decision to let her go and move on with his life. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, but he pulled it off. He'd managed to bury those feelings, and let himself be content with the knowledge that Bella was still alive somewhere in the world. Her heart was still beating, he'd done his part.

Still, there were times when he wondered what might've been had Bella stayed, had she known about claiming.

Coincidence or not, it was around that time he grew out of his obsession with fixing cars. And as time went on, he developed an interest in woodworking and started apprenticing under Trevor–one of the council elders. The ability to gain satisfaction in creating furniture out of wood, made craftsmanship a good fit for him. He considered himself lucky. Through woodworking he was able to make a good living at something that didn't interfere with his Alpha duties.

Jacob gave his head a small shake, a little surprised that Bella had in his thoughts so much lately. Knowing that nothing good would ever come from obsessing about the past, he quickly dismissed his thoughts. It was a technique he employed whenever he was joined in the mind link with the other wolves. His wolves had to know that their leader was strong and always had his mind in the present.

He quickly finished his meal and exited the house through the backdoor. The morning air was brisk as Jacob stepped outside, his steps increasing when the forest came into view. He knew that the morning coolness would soon be replaced with the heat that usually came with summer.

The wolf paced restlessly in his mind, impatient for the upcoming morning run. Next door, Billy slept soundly in his bed. With his enhanced hearing, he picked up Paul's loud snores and questioned how Rachel and Billy managed to sleep through that ruckus every night.

Jacob broke the tree line and walked a few paces before stripping down. He cleared his mind–locking all Bella thoughts away in his mental vault–and called to his wolf.

Heat shot up his spine but unlike his first few phases, it was exhilarating rather than painful. He was brought to his knees by the sensation of his body being turned inside out. The muscles in his arms and legs convulsed, his skin quickly being replaced by thick fur. Gravity forced him down on all fours, just as limbs became paws and his nose and mouth transformed into a muzzle. Then the shift from man to beast was complete.

Immediately following his change, Jacob's mind joined with the only other phased wolves.

_Hey, Jake. _ He was simultaneously greeted by Adrian and Colin, while Leah chose to acknowledge his presence with a grunt. There were currently three wolves on patrol duty, but Jacob was only there to meet with one of them.

Leah had put in the request to speak with him before he left for the workshop. Although he was itching to return to his work on the wine cabinet, Jacob figured that it had to be important for her to go through the trouble of making an _official_ request.

Jacob looked around with his enhanced vision, savoring the earthy scents of the forest, before loping off in Leah's direction. Only in the forest, he could let the wolf do what it wanted. Dried leaves crunched beneath his paws as he ran, wind whipping across his fur. As always, running loosened up his joints while giving him the burst of adrenaline he craved.

He decided to stop by a small ravine, have a drink of water and enjoy the outdoors. As his subordinate, Leah would've instinctively obeyed if he had ordered her to come to him. Nevertheless, he thought it best to wait until she was ready to approach him. Despite her struggle to keep her mind focused on patrolling, Jacob was still able to sense her growing unease. She had something weighing on her mind and he had an idea what it was about.

Jacob thought she wanted his permission to petition the council for the right to reveal herself to Zach and claim him as her mate. Through sheer effort, Jacob was able to mask his amusement. It wouldn't be wise to poke fun at Leah at a time like this. Taking a mate was serious business that would alter the pack dynamic, particularly among the wolf girls.

The way things stood, Jacob didn't have any problems with Zach. He got along well with pack members; the wolf girls loved him–most of them anyway. From a personal standpoint though, Zach seemed to dislike him. Jacob suspected that Zack's enmity had stemmed from the argument he and Bella had the last time they spoke. Whatever the reason for Zach's hostility, Jacob was willing to overlook it for Leah's sake. Whenever Zach was around, she almost seemed human… approachable even. That alone was enough to convince Jacob that Zach would be a good addition to the pack.

He snapped out of his thoughts, realizing Leah was headed in his direction. It wasn't long before he caught sight of her gray fur as she emerged out of a thicket. She came to a halt, unwilling to cross the ravine the separated them. When the silence stretched out between them, his head tilted to the side in question. She was struggling with something. Jacob felt the desperate surge of her conflicting emotions.

He was taken by surprise when she suddenly decided to shift right in front of him. When her shift was complete, Leah threw her shoulders back, straightening her spine. An impressive feat; given the fact that she was completely naked. Nudity among pack members was mostly ignored and as long as none of the newly phased wolves stared at Leah, no one was injured. Jacob decided to humor her and shift back to his human form. Whatever Leah wanted to talk about, she needed to do it human.

His eyebrows lowered with concern the longer he stared at Leah's grave expression. This wasn't the look of a wolf wanting to take a mate. It was the look of someone with a secret to tell.

"Bella's coming back."

Jacob inhaled sharply, his lips parting in surprise. He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that. This was the first time anyone had dared to say Bella's name to him in years. Then Leah's words began to sink in.

_Back. Bella was coming back._

His head snapped up, dark eyes narrowing as a harsh look hardened his face. Leah quickly took two steps backward, jaw tilted to the side, exposing her throat. Now he understood her refusal to cross the ravine. She was worried about what he'd do to punish her for breaking one of their rules. The rule that Jacob be notified of anything that could affect the pack.

The down turning of his lips only added to the severity of his features. Although his wolf wanted to nip her throat in reprimand, Jacob refused to give into the urge. He didn't trust the wolf right now. Besides, there were other creative ways to punish her without the use of violence.

As much as he wanted to place all the blame on Leah, Jacob knew he had to shoulder at least some of it. It was through his own injunction that Leah had managed to keep Bella's impending arrival a secret for so long. The injunction had been necessary for his sanity. He couldn't handle seeing her face in Leah's memories and hearing their conversations, so he decided to spare himself that torture. That injunction helped preserve his peace of mind, enabling him to get on with his life. He never dreamed it would come back to bite him in the ass.

"When?" He asked, voice hard. His stoic face gave no clue to the conflicting emotions he was feeling.

"She'll be here in a couple of hours." She tried to meet his gaze and failed, her eyes dropping away.

Not only was Bella coming back, she was coming _here_.

Without another word, he phased and trotted off into the forest, leaving a perplexed Leah to worry about what was going to happen next.

Jacob's announcement sent ripples of shocked murmurs through the pack. This was the last thing any of them expected to hear when they gathered at Sam's place for Michael's birthday get-together.

He'd been at Leah's and had seen Bella's arrival with his own two eyes. The thickness of the forest had obscured him from view, but she'd looked directly at him. He didn't stick around after that, deciding to pay a visit to Billy. His father had sat in silence, listening to Jacob rant after Billy admitted to knowing about Bella's impending return long in advance. And not just Billy, he was told that Charlie and Sue had also been in the big secret. Jacob couldn't help but feel betrayed that they'd all decided to keep him in the dark.

"So how will this affect the pack?" Seth queried, wearing a genuinely disturbed look on his face.

"It won't. Bella being back changes nothing," Jacob assured his pack firmly. Though none of them voiced their concerns out loud, he still sensed their anxiety through the bond that connected him to them. Given his history with Bella, they were worried that her arrival would cause problems.

"So how did Carmen take the news?" Luke's voice wavered slightly. He'd only been phasing for a few months now and was still unused to speaking up at meetings.

"How the hell do you think, doofus?" Michael answered before Jacob had a chance to.

Jacob flashed back to the scene he'd left at the house. The angry tears and crazy accusations she'd hurled at him as if he was the one responsible for Bella's return pissed him off. Though she'd always been an emotional woman, he'd never seen Carmen so upset. As much as he'd tried to reassure her that nothing had changed between them, Jacob didn't understand her insecurity where Bella was concerned. In all the time they'd been together, he'd never given Carmen a reason to doubt that he was fully committed to her. Hell, he'd even let her move in with him after the house was finished.

Reluctant to leave her alone while she was so upset, he'd waited for Mel and Tess to show up before he left for Sam's. The evil glares he'd gotten from those women when they got to the house, made Jacob second guess his decision to call them.

Sam, who had been silent since the start of their meeting decided to voice his concern. "I think that Carmen's whereabouts is the bigger concern? She's the Alpha female and this is pack business. She should be here for this."

_Damn_. Sensing another argument on the horizon, Jacob fought a grimace and allowed his features to harden into an inscrutable mask. "She's back at the house with Mel and Tess."

As always, Paul couldn't help but comment. "You know, I don't get this. Why couldn't they come over to Sam's for the meeting? Kim and Rachel had to leave someone else in charge of the diner to be here. Why can't the other wolf girls get over themselves for once?"

Kyle was on his feet in a flash. "What did you say about my mate?" Kyle shoved Michael's hand off his shoulder when the younger wolf attempted to restrain him. "No. He acts as though Tess is the only one with the problem. We all know Rachel does a pretty good job of causing trouble herself."

The temperature plummeted as Paul shot to his feet, his upper lip curling in something that resembled a snarl. "Say that again, pup. I dare you."

Jacob picked up on the sharp scent of Kyle's fear, though the pup was standing his ground. "You might be older and stronger than I am, but that doesn't mean shit when you start insulting my mate."

Kyle was afraid, but his refusal to back down was something that Paul would not let stand, being that Kyle was the more submissive of the two. Jacob knew that Paul would view Kyle's open defiance as a challenge to his position in the pack's hierarchy. He had to defuse the situation before things got out of hand.

"Enough." Jacob spoke softly, allowing some of his aggression and authority to translate in his tone.

Kyle and Paul glared at each other a second longer before dropping their eyes and quietly returning to their seats. Luckily, Jacob didn't have to issue an Alpha command. His pack would always fear him on an instinctual level. It came with the territory of being Alpha and the most dominant wolf there.

Michael was the only one brave enough to break the tense silence. "You only found this out today?"

"Yes, but apparently Leah knew about this in advance." Jacob gestured to Leah as she stood, leaning against the wall, arms folded across her chest. All eyes swung in her direction.

Leah swept the gathering with her steely gaze and those eyes quickly found more urgent things to stare at. Though she was currently in the doghouse, none of the wolves would risk even hinting at a challenge where Leah was concerned. After Jacob and Sam, Leah was still the most dominant wolf in the pack. Many of the pups had received more than enough broken bones to corroborate that fact.

"She's staying at my house for a few days and then she's moving to Port Angeles," Leah supplied reluctantly. That was the most any of them would get from her.

"You didn't learn your lesson the last time, Leah?" Sam remarked with a shake of his head and Leah cut him a sharp look, narrowing her eyes. Jacob wondered if Sam ever worried about the day Leah might come gunning for his Beta position. The state of their relationship–if he could call it that–had worsened since Zach came to stay with her. Jacob thought it was only a matter of time before things came to a head between them.

Jacob adjourned the meeting and the pack broke off into groups, talking quietly amongst themselves. Someone turned the music back on and Paul went back to grilling burgers.

"As hotheaded as Paul can be at times, he does have a point about our females being divided." Sam joined Jacob who stood by the cooler, beer in hand.

"I know." Jacob had hoped that the rift between the women would've healed by now, but after four years they couldn't have been further apart.

"You'll have to do something about that. With Bella being…" Sam didn't even want to finish the sentence. "You know your sister."

He _did_ know his sister, and that was what worried him the most. And speaking of his sister, where was she? Jacob scanned the group and didn't see any of the wolf girls among the pack either. Their absence made him uneasy.

Sam, already guessing who Jacob was looking for, told him, "They went back inside after they heard about Bella."

Rachel would entertain the thought of anything with the potential to screw with Carmen. Jacob looked towards Sam's house, imagining Rachel, Kim and Emily plotting away inside of it. Damn it. He didn't need this aggravation. Why the hell did Bella come back? Why now? Just when he'd finally learned to live without her?

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. Bella's return changed nothing. Jacob wouldn't let her or anyone distract him from the legacy he was trying to build. Starting now, he'd take the necessary action toward repairing the rift between their females.

Jacob turned back to Sam. "I'll talk to Carmen when I get home tonight, but I'll need you to pave the way with Emily. If we have any hope of ending this ridiculous feud between our women, we'll need her input."

As Sam's mate and Beta female, Emily wielded a considerable amount of influence in the pack. A female would adopt whatever status her mate held. Kim and Rachel might be more inclined to end the bickering if Emily was in favor of it. Still there was the possibility that she might not want to help. For reasons Jacob didn't understand Emily had never really warmed up to Carmen, which was strange because Emily liked everybody. Though she was never openly rude to Carmen, Emily usually treated her with an aloofness that bordered on unfriendliness at times.

Sam nodded, his mouth twisting into a grim smile. "I'll try but I can't guarantee anything with Emily's temper being what it is these days."

Just as Jacob was about to inquire after Emily's health, they heard the sound of an approaching car. For a moment Jacob thought that Carmen and the others had decided to attend the meeting, only to be disappointed. The car being driven wasn't one he recognized. The vehicle came to a halt in front of the house and out hopped Bella and her friends. Bella scanned their group, looking just as bewildered as Jacob felt.

_What the hell is she doing here?_ Jacob wondered, feeling a surge of anger.

His eyes widened as realization dawn and he threw a sharp glance at the window. The three heads quickly ducking out of sight, gave him his answer. The entire meet and greet had been arranged by the _troublemakers_.

Jacob gritted his teeth, fighting the instinctual urge to growl. He should have known that Rachel wouldn't pass up the opportunity to stick it to Carmen and provoke her little brother in the process.

It was then Jacob notice the man standing next to Bella.

Something about the guy, the way he stared at Bella with a hint of possessiveness in his gaze, rubbed Jacob the wrong way. No, his feelings went way beyond mild irritation. Jacob was shocked by the intense loathing he felt for someone he didn't even know. It was strong enough to rival the dislike he felt for Edward Cullen.

What Jacob didn't understand was why. Why that level of contempt towards a stranger? He'd never experienced that kind of reaction towards a human before. He didn't know why his wolf instinct told him that the harmless looking human was some kind of predator.

He decided to give his wolf the chance to make sense of it.

Jacob inhaled deeply, relaxing the firm grip he had on his human consciousness. His wolf flowed to the surface and peered through his eyes at the new arrivals. The wolf did not perceive the couple standing beside Zach as threats. Jacob didn't allow his wolf's gaze to linger on Bella as he already knew what it thought of her.

However, his feelings of malice grew when his wolf observed the man standing at Bella's side. Heat shot up his spine as his wolf attempted to force its way out. Suddenly his reaction began to make sense to him. His volatile response was little more than the pure instinct of one Alpha male sensing another. The wolf did not like another dominant male in his territory. It viewed the man as a threat to his dominance.

He struggled against the urge to bare his teeth at the trespasser.

The pack began to shift restlessly behind Jacob as they sensed his black mood. He immediately coiled the bonds of control around his snarling wolf, and wrestled it back into the shadows of his mind. Relief soothed Jacob when he was able to reestablish his authority over his body again. His control hadn't been tested this much in a long time.

His eyes were drawn to Bella, and for the life of him, he could not tear his eyes away.

At Leah's house, Jacob had only allowed himself a short glimpse of her, but now his eyes were filing away all the changes that he'd missed.

Bella's creamy skin was still pale and untouched by the sun. She'd changed her hair. She now had bangs and her chestnut strands were streaked with auburn highlights. Her hair, which had been gathered away from her face in a low hanging ponytail, was curlier than he remembered. She was dressed in a tight pair of black jeans that molded to her long legs. A dark blue t-shirt clung to her breasts, advertising just how much she'd grown up. He had to grit his teeth against the wave of irritation he felt, sensing his pack's appreciative perusal of her curvy body. Before she'd been skinny–not that he'd minded–but four years later her body had filled out in the right places.

But this new Bella confused both Jacob and his wolf. To Jacob's eyes, Bella appeared soft and fragile, and yet, to his wolf, she radiated danger for some unknown reason. Fury glittered in the depths of her brown eyes as she glared, looking like she hated him.

"Well, look at what we have here. The prodigal bitch returns."

A shocked silence descended. All heads swiveled to look at the offender, and it was all Jacob could do to _not_ commit murder.

Quil continued on, oblivious to Jacob's mounting rage. "What? Did you run out of hearts to break in Hanover? Let me guess, you're here to destroy more lives?"

What the fuck was Quil thinking? Jacob wasn't a teenage boy, walking around with his sack on his sleeve anymore. He didn't need defending from anyone. And he sure as fuck didn't need anyone to be indignant on his behalf.

Bella stared at Quil, and then it was as if someone had flipped a psychotic switch. Her expression morphed from blank questioning to a cold fury that shocked the hell out of Jacob. Her brown eyes blackened with rage, her cheeks were flushed with anger.

"Is there anything else?" She bit out furiously.

Quil hesitated, taken aback by the animosity rolling off her in waves.

"What happens next, Quil?" Her mouth curled into a vicious little smile as she slowly began to walk toward him. "Oh, let _me_ guess. This is the part where I'm supposed to run away crying, right? And all because big, bad Quil yelled at me," Bella taunted, her tone mocking.

Jacob watched her with a mixture of surprise and confusion. What the hell was that? What happened to the shy, sweet tempered girl he used to know? Never in his life had he ever seen Bella so furious.

"I've got a better idea, Quil. How about you spare me your self-righteous bullshit and go fuck yourself. How does that sound?"

Bella came to a stop in front of Quil. Her body tensed, fists clenching as if she was about to take a swing at him.

Just as Jacob was about to step in, a movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention back to Bella's friends. The brown haired woman looked downright terrified by the exchange going on between Bella and Quil. She stumbled over and grabbed onto the arm of the guy closest to her–the one Jacob disliked–and spoke in a low panicked voice, "You have to stop her, Taylor."

Taylor's face paled and he snapped, "Isabella!"

That was all it took to break Bella out of her glaring match with Quil, her expression going from livid to timid in one second flat. She cringed, biting her bottom lip. She had the look of someone who'd screwed up royally and was expecting to be punished for it.

She turned away from Quil slowly with guilt shadowing her face. The reluctance on her face was visible as she skulked back to Taylor's side. He opened his mouth to speak but after a glance in the pack's direction, decided not to have their conversation in front of an audience. Bella and Taylor began to walk away from the group, while their friends spoke to each other in hushed tones.

"What's going on, Liz?" Zach asked.

"It almost happened again," Liz whispered.

"Shit. How bad was it?" The other guy asked.

"Taylor put a stop to it before things got out of control. I …" Liz ran a hand through her hair. "This move was supposed to help her, Ryan, but judging by the warm reception Izzy just got, we should've moved to California instead."

"I hear you. You know I have half a mind to go over there and punch that guy in the face. What a dick." Ryan said as he and Liz turned to give Quil a dirty look.

"Maybe you should leave." Seth quietly advised Quil, managing to keep his voice low. Still the anger in his eyes was unmistakable. For reasons unknown to Jacob, Seth was being very protective of Bella.

Amazingly enough, Paul chimed in, "Even I can see you just made an ass out of yourself."

Incredulous, Quil spun around to face Paul. "Are you shitting me? I'm not going any–" His words came to an abrupt halt, face paling when he caught the furious expression on Jacob's face and knew he'd overstepped his bounds. Without another word, he spun on his heel and they lost sight of him when he disappeared into the woods.

Jacob turned back, just in time to bristle when Taylor grabbed hold of Bella's upper arm and pulled her from sight. Sam's house blocked them from view of the pack.

"What did we just talk about?" Taylor asked in a disapproving tone.

"Hey, don't get grabby and lower your voice, the people around here having really good hearing." Jacob didn't know whether to be impressed that she still remembered their enhanced hearing, or insulted that she thought lowered voices and a little distance would be enough to keep their conversation private.

"What the hell was that?" Taylor asked and Jacob notice he spoke with a mild Spanish accent.

"It's not my fault. That asshole attacked me," she replied hotly.

_Asshole?_ Jacob's eyebrows rose when he heard the venom in her words. And when the hell did Bella start swearing?

"That asshole is just one of the many assholes you'll be dealing with in your life. You can't go off on all of them. You almost had another meltdown out there," Taylor's voice took on a lecture-like quality that irritated Jacob.

Sure, Jacob had never seen Bella that pissed before but he didn't know why the guy was making a big deal out of it. What, Bella wasn't allowed to get mad at anyone?

"I'll try, but if that fucker comes at me again. I swear to God, I will go there." Bella spoke in a low, deadly voice.

Jacob found himself frowning at the steely determination in her tone. Did she forget what happened the last time she tried to _go there_ with a werewolf? She ended up breaking her hand on his face.

"Absolutely not. Under no circumstances are you allowed to _go there_ with anyone. Do you want another repeat of the grocery store incident?"

A pregnant pause and then she grudgingly answered, "No."

"Then get it together." Taylor's voice was hard. Commanding even.

"Whatever you say, Edward," Bella snorted sarcastically.

There was a long pause and then Taylor asked coolly, "Who did you just call me?"

"I called you Edward because that's who you're acting like right now."

With frustration in his voice, Taylor murmured something in Spanish that Jacob didn't understand. Bella, on the other hand, had no problems grasping what he said.

"Don't you curse at me, Taylor Reed," she warned.

"You know you're still unstable." Taylor kept his voice low.

"God, I hate it when you call me that. It makes me sound insane," Bella groaned.

"Well, you do have a volcanic temper," Jacob heard the mild teasing in Taylor's tone as he attempted to lighten the mood. When that didn't work, he continued somberly, "You need to control your temper. I don't want you to undo all the progress you've made so far." When Bella remained silent, Taylor sighed tiredly, "I'd settle for you not kicking his ass when we go back out there."

"Fine, I'll behave myself." Bella hesitantly relented.

Emily, Kim and Rachel were gathered in front of the house, waiting when Bella and Taylor rounded the corner. Bella seemed to relax when she didn't see Quil among the wolves. Her gaze dropped to Emily's rounded belly and her footsteps faltered.

Bella recovered herself and smiled, albeit it was a shaky one. "Wow, Emily. I mean, look at you."

Emily returned the smile but Jacob saw that hers was strained. She appeared to be nervous about Bella's reaction for some reason, but managed to shake off her anxiety and introduce the new arrivals.

"Everybody, I'd like you to meet Bella," Emily announced cheerfully.

"Hey," Bella murmured, looking embarrassed as hell.

Michael–of course it would be him–was the only one who would dare to approach Bella. "After all these years the legendary Bella crashes my birthday party and she doesn't even bring a gift."

Jacob felt a prickle of annoyance when Michael flashed Bella with his mega watt smile. He couldn't believe it. Michael was actually hitting on Bella in front of everybody, including the guy Jacob suspected was her boyfriend. _That little shit!_

"Sorry. If I had known about your party, I would've declined Emily's invitation." Bella met Emily's gaze and watched as her eyes skated away in an unspoken admission of guilt. At this point, Jacob saw that Bella had picked up on the fact that she'd been tricked into coming here.

"A party, huh?" Ryan's face lit up with excitement and then fell after he scanned the gathering. "Dude, this is a total sausage fest."

Michael shrugged. "We're just hanging out. The real party's tomorrow night on the beach."

Kim and Rachel quickly ushered the group to sit at one of the picnic tables Sam had in his back yard. All except for Zach, who made a beeline for Leah as soon as his eyes landed on her.

Rachel invited the group to Michael's birthday beach party.

"Tomorrow night? I don't think–"

"We accept," Bella interjected quickly before Taylor had a chance to decline Rachel's invitation. The corners of Taylor's mouth turned down in a frown and Bella's eyes narrowed as if daring him to disagree. In the end, it was Taylor who backed down. Jacob assumed he decided against arguing with Bella in front of others.

Rachel and Kim traded glances as if to say, _Trouble in paradise_.

A few of the younger wolves wandered over to where Jacob sat and tried to draw him into conversation, but he was only able to devote half his attention to them. The other half was so completely aware of Bella's presence that was difficult to concentrate on anything else.

When the conversation turned to Rachel's upcoming wedding and Emily's baby shower, Ryan and Taylor journeyed to the cooler for drinks. They were soon pulled into a sports debate by Michael and his group. Kim whipped out her phone for an impromptu slideshow, featuring her son, JJ. Liz had the typical female reaction, eyes glazed over with thoughts of babies. Bella, on the other hand, was staring off into space with a blankness in her eyes.

He couldn't explain it, but something about her expression bothered the hell out of him. Emily had to call her name three times before she snapped out of her trance. She readily offered to help Emily prepare lemonade and practically ran from the table.

Being closest to the house, Jacob was able to hear their every word.

As soon as they arrived in the kitchen, Emily asked, "How are you feeling these days?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Bella grumbled. Jacob wanted to know why himself. Had she been sick?

"Because we care about you."

Bella's sigh carried a weight with it. "It was really tough for a while, but once I got off the steroids things got better. I swear, those things turned me into a raving lunatic."

Steroids? Why would Bella be on steroids? Did she have a drug problem?

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay. For a while, I was really worried about you."

"Don't be. Nuclear holocaust, it'll just be me and the roaches," Bella joked.

Bella and Emily laughed and teased with the ease of people accustomed to speaking with each other on a regular basis. Jacob came to the realization that they'd kept in touch over the years, and Emily had kept their friendship a secret form everyone, even Sam.

"Look at you. You're glowing," Bella complimented her.

"I'm not glowing, I'm sweating." There was the sound of the fridge opening and closing. "You know who glowed during pregnancy? Kim. Me? I can't stop sweating and my back hurts. I'm only seven months along and people keep asking me if I'm having twins. And Sam's jealous because Leah and Zach moved in together." Emily finished her rant with a shuddering breath.

"Have things gotten any better between you two?" Jacob got the impression that Bella had grabbed onto the opportunity to change the topic.

"I'm not sure what you mean by better," Emily answered unsurely.

"Well, are you still thinking about leaving him?" Bella pressed.

"Yeah, I am." Emily admitted softly.

Only the slight widening of Jacob's eyes betrayed his shock. The tension between Sam and Emily had been more noticeable of late. Sam had been having a hard time ever since Zach moved himself into Leah's house. Jacob hadn't realized that things between the couple had deteriorated to the point that Emily was thinking of leaving. Jacob was also willing to bet that his Beta had no idea how close he was to losing his family.

Damn it, those were the kinds of things Carmen was supposed to stay on top of. It wasn't the Alpha's job to monitor and maintain the relationships among female members of the pack; it was the Alpha Female's. Emily didn't feel as if she could have confided in Carmen so she'd turned to Bella for support. The situation was worse than he thought, if the Beta female had rejected the Alpha female.

There and then Jacob made the decision to do whatever it took to force the wolf girls together. He didn't care about how much they would fight him on this. Bella coming back changed nothing. She wasn't pack and he wouldn't have the wolf girls flocking to her for leadership.

"I'm sorry. It's not fair to dump my problems on you after everything you've been through," Emily sniffled and Jacob heard the tears in her voice.

"No. It's nice to hear about someone else's problems for a change. All the tiptoeing has been driving me nuts."

"Yeah, that man of yours is really protective. He barely takes his eyes off of you." Emily noted and Jacob agreed. He'd noticed the way Taylor's gaze automatically sought Bella out, and got the impression that the guy didn't like it when Bella was out of his sight.

_Figures, she'd go out and find herself a human Edward._

Emily continued, "But I can see how much he loves you."

"I know he loves me, Emily, I just wish…" Bella trailed off in frustration.

"Wish what?"

"Nothing," Bella said, sounding sad. "Come on. Let's take the lemonade outside."

Soon after that, Bella and Emily emerged carrying cups and a pitcher of lemonade.

"I'm picking up a lot of aggression from these guys. There's enough testosterone here to choke a bear." Liz said after Emily and Bella returned to the table.

Rachel leaned forward, brimming with curiosity. "What do you mean by _picking up_?"

"I–I… well…" Liz began to stammer, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

Bella stepped in smoothly. "Liz is referring to her female intuition. She really believes in her power to read _vibes_."

The other women laughed and Jacob would've believed Bella's story if it wasn't for the subtle look of censure she gave to Liz when the others weren't pay attention.

Liz smiled gratefully at Bella before continuing what she'd been saying. "Those guys are something else, though. Can you say beefcake?"

"Would you lower your voice?" Bella hissed.

"Why?"

"The walls have ears around here." Bella swept a side-glance at the pack and caught them grinning at each other.

"Ryan's too far away to hear me." Liz misinterpreted and brushed off Bella's concern with a wave of her hand. "But I gotta say, Izzy. You didn't tell me they'd all look like _that_. I feel like I just walked onto the set of the _300 _movie." Liz shot Bella a wicked grin and then continued with her gawking.

Rachel and Kim exchanged amused glances while Bella groaned, "Liz."

But Liz forged on, completely oblivious to the fact that all the wolves were now listening in on their conversation. Especially the younger wolves. _Great_. That was all Jacob needed now; for young, cocky wolves to start comparing themselves to Spartan warriors.

"You hung out with these guys when you were a teenager and only slept with _one_ of them?" Liz shook her head in disbelief. "Wow. If Boston had guys like this when I was a teenager, I would've had weekly orgies."

Bella's eyes turned skyward but–surprisingly enough– she did not blush. "Liz, some of those guys you're ogling are married and engaged to the women sitting in front of you."

"Sorry. My mouth ran away with me again." Liz apologized to the others, before flashing a mischievous grin at Bella. "And don't act as if you're not a big old tramp yourself." She turned away from a mortified Bella and back to the wolf girls. "I could tell you some stories about Izzy–"

"But you won't," Bella quickly interjected and the group erupted into laughter.

Rachel glanced at her watch and stood. "You'll have to save those stories for another time because we have to get back to the diner."

"We'll see you guys at the beach party tomorrow night." Rachel's enigmatic smile worried the hell out of Jacob.

"It's nice to have you back, Bella. Where you belong." Kim's creepy ass murmur amped up his agitation.

Confusion flickered across Bella's face as she replied, "Um, thanks."

Before the women drove off, they fixed him with a look that was dripping with smugness. Jacob realized that his troubles were only just beginning. Bella had unwittingly walked onto a minefield and she didn't even know it.

Damn, he needed another beer. It wouldn't be enough to get him drunk, but he was hoping for a buzz. He went over to cooler and was on his third beer when he heard Liz ask, "I bet you're wondering which one's Jacob Black, huh?"

"No. I'm not." Taylor told her but his sister went on talking as if she hadn't heard him answer.

"Izzy showed me a picture of him once. He's right over there. The big one."

"They're all big–" Taylor abruptly stopped talking. It was all Jacob could do not to turn around and growl at the guy. He could almost feel the man's eyes boring into his back.

"You don't look worried at all. I'm impressed." Jacob could hear the smile in Liz's voice.

"Why should I be worried? There's a reason he's the ex boyfriend. If Isabella had been getting what she needed from him, she wouldn't have left him in the first place." Taylor remarked matter-of-factly and Jacob had to fight to relax his grip on the beer bottle in his hand.

Cold anger settled in his gut like lead. So that's what Taylor thought? What they all thought? That Bella left him because something was lacking in their relationship? Obviously, Taylor didn't know Bella as well as he thought he did. Jacob was also willing to bet that Bella had neglected to tell her boyfriend about her past fondness for supernatural creatures. The poor sap thought he knew who Bella was, but he didn't, not really.

Jacob didn't know it, but his severe scowling made Jared and Sam hesitant to approach him. His dark energy unsettled the pack.

"I know this is a bad time, but we need to ask Bella about the Cullens."

Damn. Jared was right. If the Cullens came back, the wolves would be forced to limit their patrolling to the reservation. Still, talking to Bella was the last thing he wanted to do. Not when he'd been doing everything in his power to keep his distance from her.

Sam must have seen the reluctance on his face. "Do you want me to be the one to talk to her?"

Jacob took a moment to think about it. It was his duty as Alpha to be knowledgeable of any new developments, like the possible return of a certain leech family. Despite his conflicting feelings, he refused to leave this task to someone else. "No, I'll do it."

He was waiting until Bella was alone to approach her. An opportunity presented itself when she excused herself from the group to use the bathroom. This would be the first time they spoke to each other in two years. Their last conversation–where she admitted that she'd made up a flimsy lie because she didn't want to come out and admit that he hadn't been enough for her–was still fresh in his memory.

Jacob reminded himself that this had nothing to do with their history. He had to find out if the Cullens had any intention of returning to their house. In their absence the pack had extended their patrols to Forks and any other neighboring towns. He'd make it quick; go up to her, ask about Dracula and friends and then wash his hands of her.

She wrenched open the freezer door, shoved her hands in the ice and sighed with relief.

Jacob voiced his thoughts without meaning to. "What are you doing?"

Bella quickly closed the door and spun around. Her wide eyes found him and for a split second, she appeared momentarily relieved to see him. But then her gaze became guarded, her body tensing as if she anticipated a confrontation.

Being this close to her, he could smell her scent–sweet and utterly female–but it was mixed in with another strange, unidentifiable odor. There was the barest hint of something; madness or maybe sickness about her. Annoyingly enough, she also carried a hint of Taylor's scent with her. He scowled, feeling a surge of irritation. The scent was a warning and a silent taunt that she belonged to someone else.

"You're staring at me," she said bluntly, her voice as cold as ice.

He decided to come right out and ask. "Do the Cullens intend to move back to Forks?"

She seemed to be surprised by his question. "The Cullens? Why would you think they'd come back here?"

Though it was unintentional, some of his bitterness seeped into his voice. "Why wouldn't I? You've never been known to go anywhere without a vampire nibbling on your neck."

"Go to hel–" She broke off suddenly, her eyes snapping shut. Inhaling deeply, she reopened her eyes and fixed him with an icy stare. "The Cullens aren't coming back here. So you can relax, nothing's going to mess up your perfect little life." Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "Of course, you'd think I'd bring you trouble."

It was there, amidst the burning anger and festering wounds that he lost his temper. Her bitchy attitude and smart mouth was beginning to piss him off. She was the one who walked away because she was too damn scared to give him a chance. Now they were face to face for the first time in four years and she was acting as if he did something wrong. He fought, bled and almost died for her and she couldn't even gather up the strength to fight for him.

He advanced a step, righteous anger raging through his body. "Why wouldn't I? Think about it, Bella. When have you _not_ brought me trouble?"

It was as if he'd slapped her. Her eyes widened, a flash of hurt filled her expression before a hard mask slid onto her face.

She laughed, it was a hollow sound. "Don't worry; you made yourself perfectly clear the last time. If I was in trouble you're the last person I'd expect to ever give a shit."

Jacob didn't know this Bella who was practically bursting with rage and attitude. She was a stranger. He didn't know her, didn't know this person standing in front of him at all. This wasn't the clumsy, blushing Bella that he used to lov–know. What the hell happened to her? And what the hell did she mean by _the last time_? The way he remembered it, they'd argued about her lying and keeping things from him. When was he not there for her?

Bella brushed passed him and he acted on instinct. His hand shot out, capturing her wrist in a firm grip. "What last time–"

"Let. Go." Bella spoke through gritted teeth.

She turned to gaze at him with the rapt attention of a cobra on the verge of a strike. In the past, his wolf had always maintained a lack of interest where Bella was concerned. But this new, aggressive Bella appealed to the primal instincts of his beast. Maybe the angry, near feral woman from earlier would make an appearance again. The wolf urged him to provoke her, just to see if she'd strike out at him. He'd never let her hurt her hand by punching him, but he wasn't about to let her walk all over him again. Those days were long gone and he didn't miss them in the least.

He released her, and felt the wolf's disappointment flow through him. With dark eyes firmly fixed on him, she backed up a couple of steps, staring at him with an indescribable expression on her face. The tense silence stretched out between them as they gazed at each other. They were both mere shadows of the people they used to be.

Jacob's face hardened and the corner of Bella's mouth drew up in a sinister smirk. She slowly began to flick her fingers repetitively. Jacob wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It seemed like some sort of nervous action.

Taylor suddenly appeared in the doorway, lines of worry were etched into his features. His green eyes wandered between Bella and Jacob cautiously.

"Is everything okay, Isabella?" Taylor asked quietly, his tone silky with menace.

Jacob silently bristled. _Isabella?_ The Bella he knew used to hate when anyone called her by her given name.

Bella's face underwent an amazing transformation, masking her rage before turning to face Taylor.

"Everything's fine. Can we go back to Leah's? I'm tired." She smiled sweetly and Taylor's face softened.

He led her out of the kitchen with his hand resting just above her ass. Even though, Taylor was being subtle, Jacob read his silent message of _Mine!_ in his steely, green gaze.

Outside, Bella and her friends said their goodbyes and quickly left with Leah in tow.

"So that was the legendary Bella Swan. She's hot," Michael grinned at him and damn if Jacob didn't want to punch the sixteen year old pup in his jaw.

* * *

**A/N:**There you have it, folks. Your long awaited big Jacob chapter. I bet Team Jacobs are very happy.

This chapter was a bitch to write. Every time I thought I was finished with it, I'd think of something else to add.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on;

Bella's reaction to Quil,

Sam and Emily's problems,

Jacob's reaction to meeting Taylor,

The infighting between the wolf girls,

What Rachel and Kim are up too,

And of course, Bella and Jacob's first conversation/argument.

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	3. A Ride on my Disco Stick

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Leah's house was dead silent as Bella crept through it, jogging shoes clutched against her chest. She froze on the staircase when it creaked loudly beneath her weight. Her hands gripped the shoes tightly as she held her breath and waited to find out if she'd been discovered. At a tense minute passed, she allowed herself to relax. Everyone was still asleep, she was safe.

At the bottom of the stairs, Bella shuddered when she caught sight of Suzie Q, who was curled up asleep on Leah's couch. She didn't understand why Leah and Zach liked to give the snake free reign to crawl wherever it wanted. Maybe they got some kind of twisted pleasure out of creeping people out.

She quietly opened the front door and snuck onto the porch, only pausing long enough to put on her sneakers and do her warm-up stretches. Dressed in dark blue shorts and a matching t-shirt, Bella was ready to attempt her first jog in over a year.

Of course she felt guilty for sneaking out of the house, but she had to do this. Not only did she miss her morning jogs, but it was also part of Carlisle's treatment plan. She didn't plan to push herself too hard, and intended to be back before Taylor woke up and realized she was missing. She knew how much he'd worry if he knew she'd gone off on her own, but she needed to ease back into a regular exercise routine as quickly as possible.

The sun was just beginning its ascent in the sky when Bella took off. She paced herself, making sure to keep to the side of the road. She welcomed the rush of endorphins and the feel of the brisk morning air against her skin. It was a humbling experience, being reminded of what her body was still capable of. Every time she looked in the mirror, Bella's mind was repeatedly filled with thoughts of all the ways her body had failed her.

On instinct, Bella decided to follow her feet and veered off the road and into the forest. She let her mind wander, her eyes barely registering the trees around her. It wasn't long before she found herself thinking about her run-in with Jacob the night before.

Not wanting anyone to know that the pain had flared up again, she'd told a tiny lie about heading to the bathroom and slipped away from her friends. Sticking her hands in Sam's freezer brought immediate relief, up until she was confronted by the big, angry mountain that used to be Jacob Black. Then he had the nerve to accuse her of bringing him trouble and grab her wrist… He had no idea how close she came to losing her shit last night. Her temper was not exactly stable these days.

Bella remembered the way Jacob stared, his dark eyes boring into her the entire evening. It was annoying and unsettling. She really disliked it when people just outright stared at her. Call it paranoia, but she always felt as if people could tell she was different.

_When have you not brought me trouble?_

Jacob's words had struck a nerve as she'd already been blaming herself for the turmoil she'd brought to everyone's lives. A part of her truly did believe that trouble followed wherever she went. And that she'd always bring sadness and misery to anyone unfortunate enough to love her.

She shook her head, trying to dismiss those bleak thoughts.

Maybe she should go back on her antidepressants.

That thought made her even more depressed as it represented a step back. She'd made it through physical and occupational therapy and had weaned herself off the antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. When compared to everything else she'd been through, those feats were small. Still, Bella had regarded them as victories, even though she was still on medications for seizures, nerve damage, chronic fatigue and pain. Some days she felt like a walking pharmacy.

And through it all Bella's friends had been there, taking care of her and cheering her up each time she felt like giving up. As a result of her health problems, her relationship with Taylor had been drastically altered. He'd been her caregiver for so long that it was difficult for him to step back and let her take care of herself again. He was worried her feelings for him had changed, and she was afraid he wasn't attracted to her anymore. That was why she looked forward to the move to Port Angeles. It was a chance for them to start over and work on their fractured relationship. She couldn't wait to feel like a real woman again.

Bella was so lost in her thoughts that she almost peed herself when a large, brown wolf suddenly appeared in her path.

"Thanks a lot. You just stole ten years off my life." Bella gasped, hand over her rapidly pounding heart.

The wolf snorted, letting his tongue hang out in a huge wolfy smile that displayed large, pointy teeth. His intimidating size and teeth was ruined by his playfully wagging tail.

"Do I know you?" Bella's eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out the identity of the prankster. The wolf made a noise that sounded like laughter before trotting off to the nearest bush.

Embry Call emerged moments later, wearing shorts and a teasing grin. "You don't remember what my wolf looks like, Bella? I'm hurt."

She didn't know what she'd expected from Embry but it hadn't been a smile. After the way Quil and Jacob came after her last night, she'd anticipated another unpleasant encounter.

"Sorry. My memory's not what it use to be." She smiled warily. "Were you patrolling?"

Embry nodded. "I was just on my way home when I heard someone stomping around and came to investigate."

His easy going grin coaxed a genuine smile out of her. "Jogging, Embry, not stomping."

He fell into step beside her as they walked through the forest.

"So, girlfriend, wife, imprint?" Bella asked because she couldn't recall if Emily had mentioned it.

"Neither actually." He shrugged his large shoulders.

"Really? I can't believe some girl hasn't snapped you up." His answer surprised her. If Embry was still anything like she remembered, he shouldn't have any trouble attracting women. Not a guy who looked like Embry did. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched his powerful body.

"Well, being a werewolf makes it kind of hard to get serious with anyone."

Embry didn't mention imprinting, but she was able to read between the lines. He didn't want to risk inadvertently hurting someone the way that Sam hurt Leah.

"I heard about your mom. I'm sorry." Through Emily, Bella had learned about his mother dying less than a month ago.

Embry's smile faded and he ducked his head, dark hair shielding the pain in his eyes. "Thanks." His quiet murmur tugged at her heart.

Bella wasn't sure if it was sympathy or the kinship of another grieving soul that compelled her to act. She wasn't really thinking when she invaded his space and hugged him. She'd expected Embry to be surprised by her actions. However, she became alarmed when he immediately stiffened in her arms.

Alarm turned into panic when Embry suddenly gripped her hard by the shoulders, his face dead serious.

"Embry? What the hell is wrong–" Bella's incoming tongue-lashing came to a screeching halt when Embry leaned forward and started sniffing her.

"What the hell, Bella?!" Anger and fear shadowed his face.

She winced when his grip on her tightened.

"Embry, I swear, any tighter and you'll leave marks." He quickly released her but his stony expression remained the same.

She rubbed the light pink bruises on her skin and sighed. The last thing she needed was for Taylor to try and hunt down the werewolf who'd marked her up. With the weakened state Taylor was currently in, he was more likely to get himself killed.

With hands on her hips, she glared at him. "Hey, what's your damage?"

Embry stared back, his face hard. "You think I don't know what that smell is?"

Her eyes widened. _Crap!_ How could she forget how Embry's mother died? Embry, more than anyone else, would be familiar with scents like hers.

"I spent a lot of time in the hospital when my mom had her treatments. She didn't smell like you, but I was around other people that did. Your scent isn't as strong as theirs was." His expression turned sympathetic. "So… are you still sick? You're not dying are you?"

Embry looked like he was ready to run for the hills if her answer turned out to be yes. Obviously, he'd been hit hard by his mother's illness and death, and didn't want to get attached to someone else who wasn't going to stick around.

After her diagnosis, Ryan used to distance himself from her as though he was terrified she'd die right in front of him. Bella knew it was his way of trying to protect himself, so when she did die, it wouldn't be such a shock. She'd understood, yes. But that didn't make it hurt any less.

She lowered her head, letting her hair hide the expression on her face. "I'm fine."

"Are you cured?"

Bella looked at him incredulously. She had to remind herself that Embry hadn't

asked that question out of cruelty. He had done it out of concern for her wellbeing.

Still, she had to work to keep the anger and fear out of her voice. "There is no cure, Embry."

_A recurrence. _

That was her biggest fear. That and the thought of having her body poked, prodded and pumped full of dangerous toxins again. Not to mention, having to tell Taylor she'd once again brought something horrible into their lives. She had a series of follow-up exams in a couple of months that made her heart race every time she thought about them.

Embry picked up the sharpness in her tone and was immediately apologetic. "Jeez, I'm sorry, Bella. Didn't mean to put my foot in my mouth."

The sincerity in his eyes instantly made Bella regret her peevishness. Taylor was right; she really needed to work on reining in her temper. "No, I shouldn't have snapped at you. My temper is really bad these days."

"Yeah, I noticed." He smirked in amusement, alluding to her argument with Quil.

_Great_. Bella could only imagine the impression she'd made on everyone, going off on Quil like she did. She really had to work on controlling her outbursts or else people would start to think she was crazy.

"Look, about Quil… I didn't mean to go on the attack like that."

"Don't be. Quil's not the same guy you used to know," Embry spoke slowly, choosing his words very carefully. "Besides, it was nice to finally see you stick up for yourself."

His grin was infectious.

"About what happened before, I didn't mean to freak out on you. It's just that… you totally threw me off my guard. You never expect terrible shit like that to happen to people you know." Embry jammed his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Bella sighed.

"So, does anyone else know?"

"Just my dad, Sue and Emily." She didn't know why but she blurted, "And Jacob too."

"Jake knows? Are you sure, because he never said a word to the pack?" He quirked an eyebrow in disbelief.

It was all Bella could do to hold back a sarcastic remark. She wished she was making it up. When Jacob told her he was done with her, he'd meant it.

"He knows, Embry. He doesn't care," she assured him. She wasn't at all surprised that Jacob kept her illness from everyone, including his closest friends. That was just how much he hated her.

Embry looked like he wanted to argue, but noted the stubborn look on her face and decided not to.

"Would you do me a favor and not tell anyone?"

"Why not?"

"Because the second people find out, they start giving me _the look_." She didn't tell him that _the look_ was always accompanied by scrutiny as they tried to figure out where her scars were.

"What look?" His innocent guise didn't fool her one bit.

"The same look you're giving me right now. The pity look." Bella smiled wistfully. "And you can stop with the sad eyes right now." She'd put up with those looks for a year and a half now and she wasn't going to do it anymore. Although she sometimes felt like it, she wasn't broken. Not yet anyway.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone." Embry reluctantly agreed.

"Thanks." She smiled and glanced at her watch. "Shit."

What was supposed to be a fifteen minute jog had snowballed into an entire hour. She'd never make it back before everyone woke up.

"Something wrong?" Embry asked.

Bella attempted to cover. "Nothing. I should be getting back to–"

"You snuck out, didn't you?" Embry interjected with a knowing smile.

"Sort of," Bella hedged.

"Is it even safe for you to be jogging?" He eyed her speculatively.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Don't you start too. I get enough of that overprotective crap at home."

"Well at least let me give you a ride home."

"A ride? A ride on what?" She stared blankly.

It was now Embry's turn to roll his eyes. "A ride on my disco stick, Bella. What do you think?"

She laughed, feeling silly. "Thanks."

Embry disappeared into some bushes and a second later emerged as a wolf.

Who would've thought she'd be riding a werewolf when she snuck out of bed this morning? It felt a little strange, climbing onto the back of a giant wolf. But when Embry snorted in amusement at her hesitation, she grabbed a handful of fur and yelled, "Yeehaw!"

Embry took off like a shot, leaving Bella hanging on for dear life. They streaked through the forest, soared over a ravine and effortlessly maneuvered around trees and branches. The cold wind tugged at her clothes and hair, her heart was in her throat. Though she wasn't afraid. She hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Her meeting with Embry had definitely put things in prospective. She'd survived when so many other people hadn't. She would remind herself of that the next time she felt the walls of depression closing in on her again.

Bella experienced a pang of disappointment when Embry slowed his stride and she spied Leah's house in the distance.

"Thanks, Embry." She slid off his back and he nudged her with his head. One last wave from Bella and Embry cantered away.

She cautiously made her way back to the house, listening for any sign that her friends were awake. Her shoulders sagged with relief when she heard nothing. Everyone was still asleep.

She reach for the door knob and was startled when it swiftly swung open, revealing an anxious Ryan.

"We've been looking everywhere for you." He moved out of her way and shouted over his shoulder. "She's back!"

Liz appeared from the kitchen, her smile faded when she saw Bella's outfit. "You went jogging without me?" Hurt flashed in her eyes and she walked away before Bella had the chance to explain.

Bella stifled a groan. Now she really felt like a jerk. How could she forget that jogging used to be their thing?

"He's in the kitchen." Ryan's smiled sympathetically and went to find Liz.

Bella entered the kitchen with her stomach on knots and claimed a seat at the table. He didn't acknowledge her when her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Taylor stood in front of the toaster, with his back to her, awaiting toast. The delicious scent of recently fried bacon made her stomach rumble.

God, what Bella would give for a piece of bacon.

She was getting tired of the healthy Carlisle-sanctioned diet he'd put her on. One of these days she'd lock herself in a room and stuff herself full of every kind of junk food she could get her hands on. She missed real food and alcohol. She was looking forward to having a drink at the party tonight, Carlisle be damned.

In the midst of her food lust, Taylor turned around and regarded her silently. If those looks of longing were anything to go by, she was hungry. He went over to the counter and returned with her breakfast.

Taylor poured her a bowl of shredded wheat cereal and set it down in front of her. He smiled as she wrinkled her nose.

Could a bowl of cereal be more unappealing?

"You don't have to sneak around. If you want to go jogging just say so. But for my peace of mind, take Liz with you next time." Taylor sat down and bit into a strip of bacon.

"That's it? You're not mad?" She wasn't expecting him to yell, but she'd been expecting more than _take Liz with you_.

"No, I'm actually happy." Taylor's movements were precise as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Happy?" Bella looked up from poking at her cereal.

"Your being keen on exercise must mean you're ready to start back yoga and meditating with me."

All she could do was stare at him in grateful surprise. She should've known he'd understand. He always understood her, even when she didn't understand herself and felt like she was losing her mind.

Bella groaned out loud and sank low in her seat when she finally processed his words. Her response elicited a smile from Taylor.

For the past few weeks, she'd been exercising with Taylor. He even had her reading up on yoga, but he'd stopped their sessions as he'd been wary of overtaxing her. Now he'd taken her return to jogging as an excuse to step-up their workout sessions. Lucky her!

Taylor pointed at her cereal with his fork. "Eat up, woman. Your training resumes today."

* * *

Leah leaned against the backdoor, watching in amusement as Taylor twisted Bella's poor body into the strangest positions. She held back a snort when Bella attempted the _Tree Pose_ and almost toppled over.

"Leah, are you listening to me?" Zach huffed in annoyance.

Leah swung her gaze away from the comedy of errors and focused on the man who was none too pleased with her at the moment.

"Where were you last night? I woke up and you were gone."

"I told you, I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk." She hated lying to him but she had no other choice.

"In the middle of the night?" Zach's eyebrows rose, his skepticism visible.

"What can I say, I like the scenery," Leah attempted to joke but Zach didn't share in her humor.

"You're keeping something from me, Leah. I can feel it. And I'll tell you right now, I don't like secrets." Zach stalked off, slamming the door hard behind him.

Leah dug her nails into her palms, fighting against her wolf's urgings to go after him. Her wolf didn't like that Zach was unhappy with them and compelled her to do whatever it took to fix things. It had taken two years, but she was finally on the same page with her wolf's desire to claim Zach as their mate. Still they disagreed on the timing.

On one hand, her wolf was impatient and didn't understand why Leah was dragging her feet after they'd waited two years to have him. Him being in her house, made things even more difficult. It would be pure torture for her when he moved in with his friends in a few days. On the other, Leah was hesitant to anchor herself to Zach for the rest of her life. After what she went through with Sam, the thought of becoming that dependant on someone else was a little scary for her. Neither of them had even mentioned the word _love_ yet.

She did love him, she just didn't want to be the first one to say the words out loud.

Even Leah had to admit that last thought sounded a little junior high.

Taylor's instructions pulled Leah out of her silent deliberation.

"Press your palms down, move your knees back until they're under your hips." Bella clumsily moved into position. "Now lift your pelvis and stretch into Dog Pose."

Bella's Dog Pose needed a little work so Taylor moved in behind her bent over form and grasped her hips. "Lengthen your ribs. Good. Now, straighten your legs."

Leah smirked when Bella's cheeks flushed and she was hit by the scent of her arousal. Of course Bella was getting turned on. It looked like Taylor was practically humping her. She noticed that while Bella was getting all hot and bothered, Taylor's mind was solely devoted to transitioning her from one pose to the next, his touch impersonal. His brows were slightly creased, an intense look of concentration on his face.

Eventually, Taylor took pity on her and ended their work out early. Bella dragged herself over to the steps and dropped into the space beside Leah. Taylor smiled as he passed them on the stairs and disappeared into the house.

"Wow, that was a sad sight. Since when do you do yoga?"

"Never mind that. Why were you and Zach arguing?" Bella at dabbed the sweat on her forehead.

"Fucking Jacob Black," Leah growled.

"What does he have to do with this?"

"Jacob agreed to give me some time off from patrols while Zach was staying with me. But now he's pissed I knew you were moving back and didn't say anything, so I'm being _punished_." Leah mimicked a male's voice. Bella assumed it was Jacob's. "Starting last night, I've been put back on night patrols and now Zach wants to know where I was."

"Wait a minute, _he's_ pissed? He has his perfect imprint life. Why the hell does he care where I live?" Bella fumed. Did he really despise the sight of her that much?

Leah raised an eyebrow, silently observing her friend's latest temper flare. She'd been noticing the complete change in Bella's personality. Leah had never seen Bella so pissed off and bitter. And that was coming from the _Queen of Bitter and Pissed off Bitches_. Not to mention her _healthy_ eating habits. Just thinking about the way Bella choked down that nasty ass bowl of shredded wheat made her want to gag. Was she on some kind of diet?

Something was definitely up. A few months ago, she'd had a bitch of a time getting Bella on the phone. Then there was the way Zach would get all shifty eyed every time she asked if there was anything wrong. She didn't mind that Zach was keeping a secret from her. As long as it had nothing to do with another woman, she'd have no reason to gut him like a deer. Instead, she'd taken his silence to mean that Bella was going through something. Something her friend didn't want anyone to know.

"Why haven't you told Zach that you're a…" Bella trailed off, mindful that her friends could overhear their conversation.

"Because I'm not ready to. That okay with you, nosey?" Leah didn't want to admit she was afraid that Zach would reject her once he found out that she grew fur in all of his favorite places. "Besides you're the last person to talk about being honest when you have a secret of your own."

Under Leah's watchful gaze, Bella fidgeted on the stair and refused to meet her eyes.

"Secret? I don't have any secrets."

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Then why do you smell like that?" When Bella remained silent, she grumbled, "No secrets my ass."

Leah wasn't the least bit fooled when Bella decided to change the topic.

"I've actually started thinking up names for our café. How about _Bella's Café_?"

"How about I punch you in the throat?"

"I'll take that as a no." Bella smirked.

It had been Leah's idea for them to open up a café together, with her being the business brain and Bella being the muscle. When Leah first introduced the idea, Bella had jumped at the opportunity, saying that she was tired of mooching off Taylor and the Cullens.

"When you have time, I'm gonna need you to take a look at the business plan I drew up." Leah didn't want to ruin the surprise, but after months of searching, she'd found the perfect location for their business.

"I'll look at it after my shower." Bella stood up and swayed on her feet.

"Hey, you feeling okay?" Leah asked in concern when Bella clutched the railing for support.

"I'm fine, just a little worn out from all the exercise." Bella gave her a weak smile. "On second thought, I'll look at the business plan after I have a small nap."

_Why are you taking naps in the middle of the day?_ Leah regarded Bella in silence as she made her way inside with all the speed of an old lady.

Leah became even more convinced that Bella was hiding something. But she was a werewolf in a house full of humans. Sooner or later, one of them would slipup and she'd find out what the hell was going on.

In the meantime, she'd wait until Bella woke up for them to go over the business plan together. Little did Leah know, Bella's _small nap_ would last the entire day.

* * *

Embry parked behind the store and entered the building, using the back entrance. Seeing Jacob's truck, Embry assumed that he was already at work in the large workshop that was located behind the store. As he made his way to the front of the store, Embry was surprised to find Quil sulking in a chair next to the counter.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob, Quil and Trevor were the furniture makers while he–having no woodworking talents–handled the store.

"Jake's still pissed about yesterday." Quil grumbled, watching as he opened up the store for business.

Embry nodded, understanding why Quil would seek sanctuary in the store until Jacob calmed down. Over the years, he'd watched his friend change before his eyes into a jaded and somewhat angry person. Their ancestors hadn't done Quil any favors when they shackled him to a five year old. While Quil had never been afraid to voice his opinions, he'd really gone overboard yesterday.

"Can you really blame Jake for being upset, Quil? That guy will always be a little touchy where Bella's concerned." And based on what Embry had seen so far, that touchiness would only grow.

"I'm not sorry. Somebody had to say it," Quil snapped defensively. "Bella Swan is a hurricane, Embry. She brings nothing but destruction everywhere she goes. Jake finally got his life together and then she just waltzes back into his life to destroy everything again."

"I really don't think Bella came back to mess with anyone, including Jake." _It's more like she's trying to put herself back together._

Quil narrowed his eyes at him. "I know you always had a soft spot for Bella, but do me a favor and _don't_ defend her. Not to me."

Embry struggled to not roll his eyes at Quil for equating being nice with blind adoration. "Look I'm not defending her. I'm just saying that four years is a long time. Things happen and people change." In Embry's eyes, Bella had paid for whatever sins she committed and then some.

Quil snorted. "Yeah right. I'll believe it when I see it." He leaned back in his chair and glanced at his watch. "Would you go to the workshop and find out if Jake's cooled off?"

"Fine. Keep an eye on things for me." Embry hopped off the stool and headed out the door.

On his way to the workshop, Embry thought back on his conversation with Bella. He'd known what was wrong with her the instant he'd gotten a whiff of her scent. There were so many questions he'd wanted to ask her. Was she still sick? Was she still receiving treatment? Was she terminal? He kept his questions to himself because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

Quil was right. Embry did have a soft spot for Bella. Finding out she was battling the same hell his mother had; only made that tender spot grow. Toward the end of her life, Embry's mother had suffered so much that a small part of him had been relieved when she died. The thought that Bella had suffered or might still be suffering like that fired up his protective instincts.

Despite what Bella said, Embry couldn't believe that Jacob had known about her illness and chose to keep news like that to himself. He'd been inside Jacob's head and had felt how crazy his friend had been about her. It made Embry wonder if there were still any of those feelings left or had Jacob's bond with Carmen had erased it all.

Embry felt Jacob's anger wash over him as he neared the workshop and had to force himself to continue. His wolf whined, not wanting to be near the Alpha when he was in this kind of mood. But Embry didn't really have much of a choice. It was either talk to Jacob or put up with Quil's Bella hating rants. He didn't want to defend Bella and didn't want to be put into a position where he'd feel compelled to.

Embry opened the door to the workshop and was greeted by the scent of sawdust and varnish. Loud music blared from the radio. Trevor and Jacob sat at their respective workbenches; each was hard at work at their individual projects.

Trevor was a stocky, barrel-chested man whose cool assessing gaze rarely missed anything. It was Trevor who noticed when Jacob sniffed the air and growled softly.

In the blink of an eye, Jacob's surly form appeared in front of Embry. He jumped back in surprise and smacked his head against the wall.

He raised a hand and rubbed the sore spot behind his head. "What the hell–?"

"Why do you have her scent on you?" Jacob asked in a quiet and menacing tone. Embry only had to glance at Jacob's dilated pupils to realize that the wolf was in control now.

It finally dawned on him that Jacob was talking about Bella. Belatedly, Embry remembered that he still had Bella's scent on him from before. He instantly became aware of the dangerous position he'd unwittingly placed himself in. If it was possible, Embry would've kicked himself for his stupidity. He had every right to be afraid. Jacob Black was a rational, levelheaded person. His wolf–a frightening monster with a vicious temper–was not.

He immediately dropped his eyes and assumed a harmless stance, heart thumping hard in his chest. In that moment, Embry knew he was neither friend nor pack brother to Jacob. He was just the werewolf who had Bella Swan's scent all over him.

In the corner of his eye, Embry saw Trevor slowly set his mallet down, his attention fixed on the scene unfolding between the two werewolves. The old man rose from his seat and cautiously inched his way toward them.

A growl of pure malice rumbled from Jacob's chest, drawing Embry's attention, reminding him that the Alpha's question still remained unanswered. The situation was dangerous. Embry needed to pick his next words very carefully.

Embry cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the floor. "I ran into Bella earlier. She heard about my mom and hugged me." He thought it wise to leave out the part where Bella rode him.

"She hugged you?" Jacob's voice was flat with a hint of disbelief.

Trevor placed himself between them–a very dangerous place for a human to be–and cautioned, "Easy, Jake. Remember we're all friends here."

The room remained thick with tension until Jacob exhaled loudly and ran a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, Embry. I don't know what came over me."

The downward curve of Trevor's mouth seemed to suggest he knew exactly what Jacob's problem was. Embry had similar suspicions of his own but was far too shaken to even consider voicing them. Trevor on the other hand, had no such fear.

"I think it's safe to say that your attitude has something to do with Bella Swan," Trevor remarked dryly.

Embry held his breath as Jacob stiffened. The moment passed and Jacob returned to his workstation, looking more tired than Embry had ever seen him. Trevor watched him go with a worried frown marring his already weathered face.

"Did you get any sleep at all last night?" Embry ventured.

"Sleep?" Jacob gave Embry a bitter smile. "Between Carmen still being pissed at me, and the council members breathing down my neck, no, I didn't get much sleep."

After last night's party, Jacob had to attended an emergency meeting with the council elders in the lodge. Judging from Jacob's mood, the meeting didn't go very well.

"You have a history with Bella Swan, Jake and now this... Can you really blame us for being concerned?" Trevor replied with a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "You and Carmen are the leaders of this pack. The other council members just wanted to remind you of your duty to the pack needs to come first and not this _woman_." He emphasized the last word with a distaste that pretty much said what he thought of Bella.

Jacob went pale with rage and Embry bristled at Trevor's words. The old man was definitely pushing it.

"Put the pack first? I have been the Alpha of this pack for the past four years. When have I _ever_ put myself before the pack? Don't lecture me about duty." Jacob's voice was rough with barely controlled fury.

Trevor remained cool in the face of Jacob's mounting anger. "I remember what happened the last time Bella Swan descended on us. The day she left Washington was one of the happiest days of my life." He sighed, his face weary. "Honestly, Jake, no one is questioning your loyalty. We just don't want you to lose sight of what's important."

Jaw working, Jacob regarded Trevor in silence before turning to Embry. "What do you want, Embry?"

"Quil wants to know if he can come back–"

Jacob's growl reverberated throughout the workshop and Embry backed up a couple of steps.

"I'll just tell him to come back later." Embry threw over his shoulder as he bolted for the door.

_Unstable_, Embry thought.

That was what Bella's boyfriend–Taylor–had called her yesterday. Embry thought back to Jacob's volatile mood in the workshop and concluded there was a lot of _unstable_ going around.

* * *

A guilty Jacob watched as Embry raced out of the workshop. He hadn't meant to snap at the guy, but if there was one person he didn't want to be around right now, it was Quil.

Why did Jacob give a damn who Bella rubbed up against? He didn't but–for the briefest moment before he was able to regain control–his wolf did. The moment Jacob smelled Bella's scent on Embry, he became overwhelmed by the irresistible urge to beat him to a bloody pulp. What the hell was happening to him?

Worse than that, he almost attacked a pack brother, his best friend. All because of… _her_. It made him sick with shame. His actions were a stark reminder that he was barely more than a savage beast walking around in human skin.

As a werewolf, killing was his job. It came with the territory. He killed to protect the human race from vampires that would drink them the same way a kid would suck on a juice box. He was a monster, of that he had no illusions. It took him a long time to make peace with the wolf, but he would never accept becoming a danger to every male Bella smiled at.

It was hard not to cringe when he thought about her being at the beach party tonight.

Maybe the elders were right to be worried.

There really was no end to the utter shit Bella's return had rained down on his life.

Any other time, Jacob would've been able to calm Carmen down and reassure her. But last night he'd been exhausted and not in the mood to soothe anyone's fears. He'd had it with Carmen acting as if Bella coming back was his fault. In his opinion, Bella could've stayed in Hanover with her boyfriend for all he cared. Still, he knew when Carmen's anger faded she'd see he had no plans to go chasing after Bella Swan again. Despite his wolf taking an unwelcome interest in Bella, he was committed to Carmen and that would never change.

Once and for all, he'd prove to everyone; the man was stronger than the beast.

Still Bella was the main reason he called an emergency meeting with the pack later that day.

It was midday when Jacob arrived at Sam's. Everyone had already gathered behind the house. When he saw Rachel, Kim and Emily sitting together at one table and Carmen, Mel and Tess at another, his anger erupted. Starting now he'd put a stop to the disharmony if it was the last thing he did.

He pointed at Carmen's table and snapped, "You three, sit with Rachel and the others."

A hush fell over the gathering. Everyone looked on in disbelief but Jacob kept his eyes on Carmen as her fists clenched in anger. He leveled her with a commanding gaze and defiance sparked in her brown eyes. Though Carmen's stubbornness was one of the things he loved most about her, she wouldn't have her way. Not on this. The council elders had been right. He'd allowed the fighting to go on for far too long.

It took a moment for her to realize just how serious he was. Back stiff, Carmen rose from her seat and made her way over to the other women. Her reluctance was visible with each step. After a moment, Mel and Tess grudgingly followed suit and trailed after her.

Once seated at opposite ends of the table, six pairs of eyes exchanged hostile glances. They were all on edge but least they were sitting at the same table.

All eyes were on Jacob when he began to speak. "I called you here today to discuss some changes that will be happening in the pack." He looked around at the gathering but allowed his gaze settle on the wolf girls.

"Starting today, the petty squabbling comes to an end. You will no longer be allowed to organize and keep separate parties. From now on you will all attend every pack event together." The expressions at the table ranged from anger to disbelief as he continued. "Claire's birthday party, Emily's baby shower, Rachel's bachelorette party, fundraisers and any upcoming celebrations, you will all attend these _together_."

"I hate this," Mel murmured softly but Jacob still heard her.

"That's fine. You can all hate–together." As far as he was concerned, this was long overdue.

"Do we _have_ to do this?" Kim asked, desperate for a way to avoid spending time with women she despised.

"I can't force any of you to do anything. Anyone who refuses to get with the program is free to leave the pack." In other words, my way or the highway.

"But what about when I have to work? I just can't get away from my job like some people. And I do a hell of a lot more than sling hash for a living." Carmen grumbled and Paul threw a look of disgust her way.

Jacob sighed at the taunt that was clearly aimed at Rachel. Why did she always have to antagonize his sister? He didn't even know why they hated to each other to begin with.

"Right, because your job is so much more important than ours." Rachel snorted with an eye roll.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carmen snapped angrily.

"I think she means nobody ever died because they didn't get their bedpan on time, Nurse Ratched." The younger wolves snickered at Leah's retort. However, the older wolves knew better than to crack a smile at Carmen's expense while Jacob was around. A sharp look from Jacob was all it took to wipe the smirk off Leah's face. As far as Jacob was concerned Leah was still on thin ice, and he wasn't about to put up with her smart mouth.

"You know what? I think it's time I just come out and say what I think." She paused to throw a quick glance in Kim and Emily's direction. "What we've all been thinking." She angled her body to look directly at Carmen. "I've never liked you. My brother thinks you're so sweet and giving but you don't fool me Carmen, never have. You're lazy, selfish and don't think about anyone else but yourself. You hide behind your job and constantly use it to get out of making a real contribution to the pack. I always knew it wouldn't last and yesterday my prayers were answered. Bella is–"

"Rachel, shut up," Paul hissed urgently, terrified for his mate as he sensed Jacob's growing anger.

Jacob was shocked at the acidity behind Rachel's words. He understood part of her frustration with Carmen. There were times when Jacob would find himself wondering if Carmen sometimes used being a nurse as an excuse to avoid dealing with the Rachel and the others. But if what he just witnessed was any indication of how Carmen was usually treated, Jacob couldn't say he blamed her. In his eyes, Carmen was the innocent victim in all of this.

And then he looked at Carmen, only to be thrown by the hatred burning in her eyes. Her mouth twisted into a cold smile he'd never seen before.

"You don't like me, Rachel?" She laughed humorlessly with utter contempt burning in her eyes. "Well I absolutely despise you. You're just mad because I refuse to kiss your ass. And unlike your work down at that crummy little diner, my job actually saves lives. So I'm done pretending you're worth my time. You can go to hell for all I care, and take your precious Bella with you."

Jacob had seen enough to attest that the nastiness wasn't a one-way street. It felt as if he was seeing Carmen for the first time. He'd never seen her be cruel to anyone let alone the wolf girls. Was Paul right? Did his feelings for Carmen cripple his objectivity?

If that wasn't bad enough, Carmen and Rachel began to hurl insults at each other. Some of the wolves were also dragged into their argument, resulting in Paul and Kyle being up in each other's faces. All of this fighting was tearing his pack apart.

"**Enough!**" The ferocity behind Jacob's snarl rendered the group silent. A ripple of fear went through the pack.

A rough growl made his voice hard and unyielding. "I am sick to death of your ridiculous bickering. You are grown women and here you are quibbling like little children. It ends today. Whether you like it or not, you are pack. Act like it and start treating each other with respect. Do I make myself clear?"

Rachel slowly rose from her seat, her eyes staring back at him firmly. Her features hardened with a stubbornness he knew only too well.

"If you want _all_ of us to start doing everything together, then that's what we'll do." Her eyes held a secretive gleam. "But be careful what you wish for, Jake, because you just might get it."

Jacob couldn't shake the sinking feeling that he'd just made things worse for himself.

* * *

**A/N: **So I know Micheal's beach party was supposed to be featured in this chapter but the characters wouldn't stop talking so here you are. The next chapter had to be completely re-outlined with fun and not so fun moments added. I can't wait to finish it. I will say that I am really looking forward to chapter 4 and 5 Lots of drama!

A lot of hints in this chapter. I will leave you to draw your own conclusion in your reviews.

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	4. Knock it off, Bitches!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

* * *

MSCML Chapter 4

Jacob looked out at the sea of dancing partygoers. He wasn't surprised at the large turnout. Apart from being annoying as hell, Michael was also well liked. Despite the jubilant environment, he couldn't allow himself to completely relax. As Alpha it was his job to make sure the party remained substance and incident free. And yet, drugs weren't the only things on his radar tonight.

Although he would never admit it to the pack, his eyes continuously scanned the party for two women; Carmen and Bella.

After the meeting Carmen's anger had taken a disturbing course; cold silence. That was never a good sign. Even worse, he didn't know how to calm her down and that pissed him off more than anything else. In the past, Carmen never stayed mad at him for more than a day. He always knew how to coax a smile out of her. Now, everything he said only seemed to make things worse. Things were strained between them now and for that, he blamed Bella.

Whether she meant to or not, her arrival had messed up a lot of things for him.

Maybe he'd catch a break and Bella would decide to stay away…

Yeah right. The way his luck was going lately, that was unlikely.

"Wow." Michael's quiet murmur drew Jacob's attention. The young wolf was busy gawking at something behind Jacob's back.

And then he saw Bella walking down the concrete path that led to the beach with her friends.

She sported a pair of skintight jeans that looked like it had been painted on. Her purple, sleeveless blouse fit too snugly and exposed way too much of her stomach for Jacob's liking. Her legs were encased in a pair of black, leather knee-high boots. She was, in a word, beautiful.

Who the hell let her out of the house dressed like that? It wouldn't take more than a few tugs for that flimsy shirt to fall apart. Did she at least have on a bra under there?

Bella's gaze swept the crowd and their eyes met. Something flickered in her eyes and then it was gone. Hidden behind her wall of ice she seemed to reserve just for him.

Michael whistled in amusement. "Man, she hates you."

"Hate her back. That's _my_ plan." Quil volunteered rudely, and then finished the last of his beer in one gulp. He immediately regretted voicing those thoughts when he received a sharp glance from Jacob. All thoughts about Bella were soon forgotten when Quil spotted his latest fling in the crowd and went on the prowl.

Janelle? Or was it Vanessa? Jacob tried to remember her name only to give up in the end. What did it matter anyway? She'd be replaced with someone else in a couple of days. This was who Quil had become; the woman chaser who didn't stick around long enough to learn their last names.

The next time Jacob looked over at her, Bella's attention was focused on Taylor. They were standing close to each other, their fingers linked. Every muscle in Jacob's body stiffen with enmity. Yeah, he still didn't like that guy. And the way Taylor's cold eyes skimmed over Jacob told him the dislike was mutual. The wolf prowled restlessly behind his eyes, hackles raised because the predatory human dared to look his way.

Jacob's jaw tightened, watching the way Taylor gently swept the hair of Bella's shoulders and lowered his head to whisper something in her ear. Distance and loud music prevented him from hearing what was said. Her bangs shielded her expression as she bent her head and nodded. From where Jacob stood, it looked as if she was anxiously chewing on her lower lip.

It was at that moment Jacob noticed Billy, wheeling his way toward Bella.

Bella glanced up as the crowd parted, allowing him to pass. It was a testimony to the level of respect Billy effortlessly commanded.

Billy came to a stop in front of Bella, silently scrutinizing her with his dark eyes. Jacob got a weird vibe from the way his father was looking at her. His expression was a mixture of sorrow and relief. Bella's lips quirked into a smile, but it wasn't enough to cloak the haunting sadness in her eyes. She leaned down and gave him a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek.

His father appeared reluctant to release her when she withdrew. She crouched down next to his chair and began speaking with him. Jacob still couldn't hear their conversation over the thumping music. As they spoke, Billy would occasionally touch Bella's cheek while her friends looked on with empathy etched into their faces.

Jacob stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. Last night Billy had been among the elders to lecture him about the importance of maintaining pack stability. That included keeping his distance where Bella was concerned. Now the old man was embracing Bella like she was his long lost daughter. Jacob was grateful Carmen wasn't here to witness this. He didn't need anything making her feel more threatened than she already did.

"What's up with that?" Rachel joined him, her eyes on Bella and Billy.

"Don't know."

"Did Dad and Bella keep in contact over the years?"

"No," Jacob snapped unthinkingly.

Billy would never do that to him. Knowing his father had already kept him in the dark about Bella's return shook his certainty. If Billy could keep that from him, what else would he choose to keep secret from his son?

"Jeez. Don't bite my head off. I just asked a simple question." Rachel said in reproach before ambling back to Kim and Emily.

Before he knew it Billy and Bella had ended their conversation, and Rachel was waving her over to their group. He briefly thought about going somewhere else, only to dismiss those thoughts as quickly as they occurred. Even though her mere presence made his life a living hell, he refused to run away. This was _his_ pack. He wasn't going anywhere.

"This is my son, JJ." Kim introduced Bella to the dark-haired toddler who was currently clinging to her leg. "Say hi Bella."

Bella knelt down wearing the softest smile Jacob had seen since her arrival. "Hi, JJ."

"He's shy." Kim smiled as JJ blushed and bashfully hid his face behind her jeans clad leg.

Claire's parents, Amy and Nathan, stepped forward to introduce themselves, but before Bella could stand and shake their hands, she narrowly missed being tackled by their hyper daughter.

Claire stopped mere inches from Bella's face and began her mile a minute rattling. "Hi! My name is Claire. I'm almost six. How old are you? Are you coming to my party?"

Bella stared in awe, appearing to be at a loss for words.

Amy laughed in embarrassment and tugged her daughter away. "Claire, honey. Bella just got here. You have to give her a little breathing room."

"Sorry about that. I think she's had a little too much sugar tonight." Nathan joked.

Bella recovered with a laugh that lit up her face. "Well, Claire. I'm almost twenty-three and about coming to your party…" Bella's gaze flickered to Amy who gave her an embarrassed smile. "We'll see."

With a gentle hand on her elbow, Taylor helped Bella stand and she introduced her _gang_ to the couple.

After a short conversation, it was time for them to leave. However before they could make their exit, Claire asked if she could say goodbye to Quil first.

Claire's parents exchanged anxious glances before Nathan offered a tightlipped smile. "Of course."

Quil stepped forward and they said their goodbyes under the watchful eyes of her parents.

Jacob himself had made the decision to tell them about werewolves and Quil's connection to their daughter. He thought they had a right to know. To say it hadn't gone down well would've been an understatement. It had taken them a while to understand that Quil was not a pedophile with designs on their daughter. Things were still tense whenever Quil was around, though.

After Claire and her parents left with JJ in tow, Bella was quickly swarmed by the wolf girls. By the strange panic in her eyes, Jacob could tell she was feeling a little hemmed in by them. That was how it appeared to him anyway. The way they surrounded around Bella, strategically and effectively cutting her off from Taylor.

Bella's voice held a small tremor as she quickly excused herself and headed for the bar.

Leah–who had seen what Rachel and the others had done–pulled them aside and confronted them. "Knock it off, bitches."

"What'd we do?" Kim feigned innocence while Emily looked away guiltily.

"Don't play dumb with me. Bella just got back. She doesn't need to get dragged into your crap." Leah's expression darkened.

Rachel regarded Leah with a faint smile. "Relax, Leah. We're just being nice."

"All of a sudden you're Bella's biggest fan? Bullshit." Leah snarled.

"What are you afraid of Leah? Are you worried Bella's going to find out what you've been keeping from her?"

Leah deliberately sidestepped Rachel's questions. "Bella's going through something right now. Don't make her life any harder than it already is."

"Is she okay?" Emily's instant concern confused him.

"I don't know what's going on with her. So I'm telling you devious bitches, knock it off. Don't _make_ me tell you again." Leah warned once more before going back to Zach.

Jacob was still finding it hard to believe that Leah and Bella were friends. Actual friends. Given how often the she-wolf had publically voiced her hatred of Bella in the past. For Leah to come to Bella's defense like that, they had to be _really_ close.

Reluctantly, he found himself wondering what was going on with Bella. Could there be trouble in Spanish paradise?

Over at the bar, Bella and Embry's easygoing banter threw Jacob for a loop. When the hell did they become so close? He didn't like the cozy smiles Bella gave Embry, or the way his friend struggled to keep his eyes away from her breasts. An unpleasant and all too familiar emotion plagued him.

Jealousy.

It was bad enough, feeling that way every time Taylor Reed put his hands on her. The bitterness had whispered to him like an old lover. Having been through the same thing when Bella was lusting after the leech, he'd grown used to it. But it was a whole new low, feeling the need to punch someone because she exchanged a couple of smiles with his best friend. Even after all these years, Bella still had the power to bring out the worst in him.

Jacob felt petty satisfaction when their closeness came to an abrupt end, immediately after Bella asked for a beer and Embry went all big brother on her.

"I don't know, Bella. Should you be drinking?" Embry seemed to hesitate for some reason.

"Embry, honey. I'm not asking you, I'm _telling_ you to give me a drink." She drawled dangerously.

After a moment, Embry sighed in defeat and handed her a beer without another word of complaint.

"Thank you." Bella smiled sweetly at Embry but Jacob didn't miss the flash of rage in her eyes.

She returned to her friends and though Taylor eyed the bottle in disapproval, he didn't comment on it. Still, his disdain for her drinking was obvious. Bella stared back at Taylor, as if challenging him to say something to her about it. Almost as if she was itching for a confrontation.

Liz traded wary glances between the couple. Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her not to intervene.

Any argument that might have taken place was averted when a soft smile suddenly broke through the shadows on Bella's face. Taylor's eyes softened in response as he reached up to cup her cheek.

An unidentifiable emotion welled up in Jacob as he watched them. Before coming here tonight, he'd prepared himself to see a lot of things. But he hadn't been prepared to see Bella and Taylor fight, and then make up without a word. Nothing could prepare him for how he'd feel to witness Bella being loved by another man.

"Again you show up at my party empty-handed."

Jacob had been so lost in his musings that he failed to notice when Michael slipped away from his friends and made a beeline for Bella.

She twisted away from Taylor with a playful grin on show. "I think the pleasure of my company is a gift in itself."

"Nope, not buying it. I'll settle for a dance though." He flashed a grin and held out his hand.

"How old are you?" Bella's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Oh, come on, Bella. Age is just a number."

"Uh-huh." When she didn't look convinced, he decided to come clean.

"I'm sixteen–but try not to fall in love, I'm jailbait." A teasing grin tugged at his mouth and she rolled her eyes in amusement.

Bella angled her head to the side and regarded Michael with the oddest look on her face. "You know, you remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"Just a guy I used to know." Bella looked away in discomfort.

"Were you two close?"

"We used to be." She smiled faintly with a faraway look in her eyes.

No. She couldn't be talking about Jacob, could she?

Beside him, Jared loudly cleared his throat to gain his attention. He smiled when Jacob said, "Don't even go there." The grin widened to shit-eating proportions. "I have nothing in common with that cocky little bastard."

"So, how about that dance?" The little punk asked again, bursting with confidence.

Jacob wanted to storm over and drag the pup away by the scruff of his neck. He could tell that Taylor was entertaining the same thoughts behind his cold, unsettling gaze.

Luckily, Leah intervened and dashed the little punk's hopes. "Beat it, Thirteen."

A crestfallen Michael slinked away and Bella turned to Leah. "Why are you so mean?"

"Eh, that little punk was flirting with you. Don't need you adding to his spank bank fantasies."

Bella wrinkled her nose and then noticed Taylor tugging on his jacket. "Stop fidgeting. I like that jacket on you." She faced Leah. "Doesn't that jacket look nice on him?"

"Looks hot."

Zach scowled and Taylor seemed startled by Leah's admission.

"Relax, Spanish. I'm not interested in what you're selling," Leah scoffed.

Bella's grin was downright evil. "You say that now but I remember that time you described Taylor's body as a _work of art_?"

"Leah, I had no idea," Taylor teased.

"A work of art?" Zach's jealousy was almost palpable.

Watching Leah floundering around to explain herself was comical. For many in the pack, it was their first time seeing her so off balance. She was almost human. Leah or bone crusher–as she was called by the pups–had a reputation for being cold and calculating. Seeing someone get the best of her was a once in a lifetime event.

By then Liz and the wolf girls were having trouble holding back their giggles.

Leah gave up and stormed off with a growl of frustration.

"What's the matter, Leah? Taylor not a work of art anymore?" Bella mockingly called after her.

"You're a real asshole, Bella!" was Leah's parting shot as she stomped away and Bella laughed.

"You work her up, I calm her down. Watch me work my magic." A determined Zach set off after Leah.

Jacob thought the guy was either really stupid or really brave.

Taylor hooked an arm around Bella's waist and pulled her flush against him. "You are so bad."

Bella gave him a slow, sexy smile. "Us bad girls like to be punished." She rose up on her toes, hands gliding up his chest as she went, and playfully nipped Taylor on his jaw.

Kim, Rachel and Emily stood off to the side, observing their interaction. Jacob noticed his sister stared at them as though they were a puzzle she longed to figure out. The longer she watched them, the more Jacob's disquiet grew. His instincts were rarely ever wrong and right now they were telling him that Rachel had something up her sleeve.

Rachel proved his instincts were right.

"Hey, Bella. Do you have plans for Sunday?"

Bella pulled out of Taylor's arms. "I don't think so. Why?"

Jacob almost groaned out loud. He knew exactly where this was heading.

"A bunch of us are gonna be hanging out on the beach and we're hoping you'd come along."

He couldn't believe Rachel just invited Bella to something Carmen had organized for _her_ friends.

Liz intervened before Bella could give Rachel an answer. "Weren't we supposed to meet up with Angela Sunday?"

"Oh right. I forgot." Jacob noticed Bella still had the habit of chewing on her lip whenever she was anxious. "Can Angela come along too?"

"Of course. The more the merrier." Rachel's mouth pulled into a fake smile.

His sister didn't get the answer she'd wanted, and Jacob belatedly realized that Bella had misinterpreted an invitation that had only been meant for her. Rachel's plan to separate Bella from her friends had failed miserably. Then again, her plan to piss Carmen off was coming along nicely.

Carmen would hit the roof when she found out.

Jacob followed Rachel to the bar and confronted her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Rachel blinked innocently.

"You know damn well what I mean. Why the hell would you invite her?"

"I'm just doing what you told me to do." When she was met with confusion, she explained, "Since we're not allowed to keep separate events anymore, I was just making sure _all_ the wolf girls were invited to Carmen's little get-together."

"Bella's not pack and you know it," he gritted out.

"Oh yes she is. You made it that way." An exasperating smirk. "Your word is law, remember? You ordered all of the wolf girls together, so that's what you'll get. From now on, Bella's going to be invited to every party we have." She inched forward, until she stood beside him. Her voice was just above a whisper. "I did warn you to be careful what you wish for, little brother."

Jacob watched as she sauntered away, drink in hand.

He should have known. This was the same person that flushed his head in the toilet when he was ten because he told her boyfriend she stuffed her bra. She'd been making his life a living hell since the day he was born. Why did he think things would change because they were older?

Women. They'll all be the death of him.

Jacob raised a brow in surprise when he caught Paul and Kyle making their way over–together. It was no secret that the two wolves rarely got along, with both of them being hot-tempered and all. This time, a mutual concern was enough to unite them. However temporary their truce might be.

"Look, I know you want the girls to get along and everything but…" Paul scratched his head. "Do you think forcing them together is the right way to go?"

"What do you mean?" Jacob chose to fake ignorance.

Kyle chimed in. "What's going to happen when you force a bunch of women that hate each other to hang out?"

"Think about it. After they fight, they'll come to us to vent. I love your sister but once Carmen gets her riled up, she can go for hours. And not in the good way."

Jacob hid his amusement when Kyle nodded in agreement with Paul.

"The last time Tess had a fight with Kim, I didn't get any sleep at all. I'm telling you, Jake, I can't take it." Kyle appeared as though he had the entire weight of the world on his shoulders.

Jacob understood their suffering. It wasn't as if he _wanted_ to get stuck listening to Carmen complain for the umpteenth time about something his sister said to her. He actually had times when he had fantasies about taking a drill to his skull to escape the nagging. But doing nothing had gotten them nowhere. Doing nothing had led to the division of his pack.

"I don't like this anymore than you do, but we all have to make sacrifices if we want–"

Carmen had finally showed up, alongside Mel and Tess. She wore a red corset styled top and a short skirt that showed off what she thought was her best feature. Her legs. Jacob could tell she'd put some extra effort into her appearance tonight. Not that she needed to. He'd always been drawn by her beauty.

She came to him, threw her arms around his neck and–much to his surprise–kissed him full on the mouth.

"I thought you were still mad at me." Jacob said once she pulled away.

"I was but I started to see how unfair I was being. It's not your fault." Carmen said and he allowed himself to relax, thinking things between them might be okay. But then she said, "It's her fault."

"Carmen–"

"Where is she?" She searched the crowd until she found her, chatting with Rachel and the others.

Bella stood with her back to them, completely unaware of the invisible daggers being thrown her way.

"I heard she was pale but I had no idea." Mel said, her dark eyes twinkling with speculation.

Liz was the first to notice them staring at Bella. Her green gaze settled on Carmen, and an intense look of loathing crossed her face. She leaned in and whispered something into Bella's ear.

Bella glanced over her shoulder, brown eyes focusing directly on him. The expression on her face was unfathomable until her gaze wandered over to Carmen. Her eyes narrowed, mouth tightening ever so lightly at the corners. Next to him, Carmen stiffened as was pierced by a sharp dislike that shot through her body like a bolt of lightning.

Unsmiling, Bella turned back to the wolf girls, effectively dismissing Carmen. An insult.

If Carmen had been a wolf, her fur would be raised, lips peeled back to reveal sharp teeth. She already viewed Bella as a threat to her position. The temptation–Carmen's need–to put Bella in her place would too great.

"Let me go say hi."

Jacob grasped her hand. "Carmen, don't start trouble."

"It would be rude of me not to introduce myself." She shook his hand off and continued on her way.

"This should be interesting," Paul muttered while exchanging secretive looks with Rachel.

Jacob didn't want interesting. He would be more than satisfied with boring. Well, as boring as the life of a werewolf could get.

"Hello, Bella. I'm Carmen." She said with a smile that didn't look too friendly to Jacob. "I've heard a lot about you."

Bella coolly met Carmen's gaze. "Have you?"

A short distance away, Jacob could feel the aggression coming off them in waves. They did not like each other.

"Good news travels fast but bad news travels even faster." Carmen made a halfhearted attempt to pass that off as a joke.

Bella frowned faintly, but behind her, Liz became riled, "Oh, hell no."

Ryan bear hugged her from behind and whispered something in her ear. Her temper went down a few notches, though Jacob could see that Carmen had just made herself an enemy.

"Guess who I invited to come with us Sunday?" Rachel intoned, just loving the obvious friction between the two women.

"You invited Bella too?" To Jacob's surprise and aggravation, Carmen gave Bella a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Good. We'll have more time to get to know each other. I'm looking forward to it."

Carmen returned to her group.

"Uh-oh. I have a bad feeling about this." Seth told him.

Jacob couldn't shake his sense of foreboding. He didn't want Carmen and Bella anywhere near each other. Not with Carmen spoiling for a fight. God, what a nightmare.

Not long after that, Bella decided to go for a walk on the beach.

"Go with her," Taylor told his sister softly.

Liz broke into a light jog until she caught up with Bella. Her arm encircled Bella's waist and together they went strolling down the beach like two lovers beneath the moon light.

"Hey, Jake. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Seth requested.

"What's up?" Jacob asked after they moved closer to the bar.

"Listen, my mom and Charlie are hiding something and…" Seth hesitated before continuing, "I'm sure this secret has something to do with Bella."

Jacob could already feel himself shutting down at the mention of her name. "Not my problem."

Seth's eyebrow rose in surprise at Jacob's curt reply, still that didn't deter him from speaking. "Do you remember when Charlie suddenly took a leave of absence and disappeared for two months?"

Jacob remembered finding it strange that a man who rarely took vacations would just up and disappear for as long as Charlie did. Sue choosing not to accompany him was even stranger. Billy had been awfully secretive about where Charlie might have been. The most confusing part was the way Charlie looked at Jacob when he returned. It felt like Charlie was disappointed in him for reasons he didn't understand.

"I remember." Jacob admitted reluctantly, and noticed Embry eavesdropping as he continued to serve drinks.

"Leah told me she almost got into it with Taylor today when he refused to let her wake Bella."

Jacob didn't see the problem. "Why's that such a big deal?"

"Bella's been asleep all day. Doesn't that strike you as odd? I'm telling you something's going on with her, man. Have you gotten a whiff of her scent lately? She smells weird."

Jacob still couldn't identify her odd scent. Then there was her volatile temper. At first, he assumed she drank the Leah Kool-Aid, but it felt as if there was more to it than just Leah's influence. There was a sense of wrongness about her…

No. He was not going to do this. He wouldn't allow himself to get sucked into Bella's problems again. Four years ago he'd gone down that same path and what had it gotten him? Not a damn thing. God, how she'd hurt him. The memory alone of that pain was enough to strengthen his resolve. He didn't want Bella anywhere near his pack or his life.

Jacob's voice was as hard as granite the next time he spoke. "Bella is Ricky Martin's problem now. Let him deal with whatever issues she has. And do me a favor, Seth. Never come to me with her problems again."

Jacob's tempered tone sent an icy trickle down Seth's spine. It was a warning. He realized he needed to tread carefully when Jacob was in this kind of mood. Arguing further would only antagonize Jacob, and the last thing Seth needed was to be on the Alpha's bad side. Still, Seth couldn't ignore his instinct which told him that something was up with Bella. He'd get to the bottom of things, with or without Jacob's help.

"Whatever you say, Alpha." Seth gave a curt nod and fell silent.

Great! Now Jacob was _Alpha_. He really hated it when they called him that. Why didn't Seth just call him _Dictator_ and get it over with?

Jacob went back to the bar and Embry slammed his drink down on the counter in agitation.

"What's your problem?" Jacob arched an eyebrow at him after tipping back his beer.

"You might not give a shit about what happens to Bella anymore, but some of us still do. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that." Embry stalked off, leaving Jacob staring after him in confusion.

He didn't get it. Why was he the bad guy for wanting to protect himself? After what he'd gone through with Bella, didn't he deserve a little peace?

"Man, forget him. He always did have a crush on Bella." Quil tossed out in disgust.

That was the _last_ thing Jacob needed to hear right now.

Around this time Bella and Liz returned from their walk. Liz was the same but Bella's mood had improved considerably. She was laughing and pulling at Taylor's shirt, demanding he dance with her.

Bella heard a song she loved, and went on the dance floor by herself.

"Bella can't dance. Somebody should stop her from making a fool out of herself." Quil laughed.

Shortly after, Bella made him eat those words when she began dancing with wild abandon.

_What is it you want me to tell ya?  
I'm not the failure  
I would rather live and let be  
But you can't make the right kinda threat to  
Push me to let you  
No, you can't intimidate me _

Jacob became aware of the guys openly gaping at her. Even the younger pups were slack jawed, watching her swing her hips and hair. Brady who was DJing tonight was cheering her on.

_You disrespect me so clearly  
Now you better hear me  
That is not the way it goes down  
You did it to yourself and it's over  
Now let me show ya exactly how the breaking point sounds _

She faced Taylor with a sexy, siren smile and beckoned to him. He went to her like a moth powerless to resist the call of the flame. Taylor took her in his arms, hands traveling up and down her body. She threw her head back and laughed, her cheeks pink with pleasure.

Jacob's wolf shuddered in revulsion and fury at the sight. To his wolf, the image of Bella and Taylor dancing felt wrong and unnatural.

_I wanna see you choke on your lies  
Swallow up your greed  
Suffer all alone in your misery  
Choke on your lies  
Swallow up your greed  
Suffer all alone in your misery _

Michael sniffed, eyes widening suddenly. Uneasiness rippled through the wolves. It took a second for the scent to hit Jacob but when it did, his head snapped up, muscles tensing beneath his t-shirt. He couldn't believe it.

A couple of years back, there had been a serious meth problem in La Push. Through a combined effort between the wolves and police, they were able to drive out the main dealers. Some of the addicts got help in getting and staying clean. But for the others, the damage had been done. Every day he had to witness the results of that damage; runaways, high school dropouts, deadbeats, broken homes… The list went on. Ever since then, Jacob had instituted a zero tolerance rule when it came to drugs.

After seeing her brother's thundercloud face, Rachel asked, "What's going on?"

"Bella smoked pot." Paul comment after scenting the air.

"So she's a pothead? Somehow I'm not surprised." Mel shook her head.

"Why don't you shut up?" Kim snapped defensively.

"Don't tell her to shut up. _You_ shut up." Tess jumped in.

Carmen remained smug in her silence. She knew Bella Swan was trash the moment she laid eyes on her.

Ryan caught hold of Liz's hand and pulled her aside. "She's high, isn't she?" At her guilty look, Ryan groaned, "Tell me you didn't sneak pot through airport security."

"Of course not. I found it in a draw back in Seth's room." Her brow lowered in a frown.

The heads of wolves within earshot swiveled in Seth's direction.

Seth paled visibly when the Alpha's hardened eyes found him. Drug use by a pack member was grounds for exile.

A light sheen of sweat coated Seth's brow. "I haven't smoked anything in over a year. I swear." His voice lowered with hidden meaning as he pleaded his case. "It was around _that time_, Jake."

Jacob immediately picked up on what Seth was referring to. It had been over a year since Seth had confided in him. He'd managed to keep Seth's issues private from the rest of the pack. No one knew about what Seth had been hiding for over a year, not even Leah. Jacob gave Seth a nod and watched as he sighed in relief. He decided to cut the guy some slack for one mistake. He couldn't punish him for struggling with a secret that weighed on him every day.

Jacob still couldn't come to terms with this new Bella. A small part of him rebelled against the thought that she would use drugs. But the proof was right in front of his face, laughing and dancing. He had to remind himself that she'd changed. Her stares were bold, her blushing habit was gone and clumsiness had been replaced by an almost feline grace.

Ryan was still upset with Liz. "I can't believe you would do this. It's not like she needs it anymore. Why would you give her pot?"

"You can't feel it like I do, Ryan. She's sad. She's _so_ sad all of the time. I just wanted her to be happy again. Just look at her…" She gestured to Bella gyrating on Taylor. "When was the last time you saw her dance?"

Ryan's eyes reluctantly softened, watching the woman he thought of as family.

Ryan might be able to let this slide but Jacob couldn't. Anyone caught with drugs at a pack party was immediately asked to leave. No exceptions. Jacob could feel the eyes of his pack pressing into his skin. He felt the pressure to uphold the rules, created by the council elders and himself. He had no choice. Bella had to leave.

Jacob was just about to head over there when Billy wheeled himself into his path, attempting to stop him.

"Leave it alone, son."

"What do you mean leave it alone? She brought pot here and _smoked_ it."

"Look, I know how you feel about drugs, but I'm asking you to let this one slide."

"He's right, Billy." Carmen came to stand at his side. Though she was undoubtedly biased, Jacob was grateful for her support. "He can't let her get away with doing drugs here."

"I think you should stay out of this, Carmen." Billy calmly suggested. Carmen could hardly be trusted to be impartial.

Carmen raised her chin, feelings bruised by the insult. "I will not. I am still the Alpha female of this pack."

"The way you've been acting lately says otherwise," Billy chided, clasping his hands together.

Billy's perceptive gaze went from Carmen to his son. Unfortunately, he'd heard–from Paul–about her behavior at the meeting earlier and was less than pleased. Not to mention the shouting match he'd heard coming from his son's house last night. He'd always thought she was a bit overindulged, but he'd chose to look the other way because she made his son happy. But now… His son had endured enough pain to last a lifetime. This time Billy would not hesitate to intervene if he thought his son was being hurt again.

Jacob's gaze settled on Bella as she stood watching her friends–who'd joined in the dancing by then. She looked… _tired_.

"I'll wait." To confront her now would create a scene. But he wouldn't leave it alone. Bella would get a piece of his mind sooner or later.

Sam stood alone, shoulders slightly hunched, watching Leah dance with Zach. Their dance was interrupted every time Leah paused to slap Zach's wandering hand away from her ass. In the low haze of bonfire smoke, Sam's features were twisted in bitterness and defeat.

Beneath his stone set face, Jacob was in turmoil. He'd been meaning to have a little talk with Sam, but was uncertain of how to approach him. Never before had Jacob ever had to confront a wolf about the mistreatment of his mate. He needed to tread very carefully. When it came to their mates, wolves were very volatile creatures. Quick to find insult.

Unfortunately, Jacob wasn't the only one to notice Sam's preoccupation.

A dark curtain of hair obscured her hurt as Emily quietly excused herself from the group and went over to the food table. Too late, Jacob spied Bella heading straight for Sam, jaw set, determination in each of her steps.

Sam followed her approached closely, a dark scowl on his face. Then she was at his side, silently staring into the burning embers. Sam waited for her to speak. She did not disappoint.

"She's beautiful." A soft smile.

"What?" she startled out of him.

She took her eyes off the flames, the smile still in place. "Leah. She's beautiful and sexy and loyal. But she's also got a mean streak, she's stubborn, she's scary. And I love her."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I know how much it sucks and how life isn't fair. I get it, Sam. _Believe me_, I get it. But you need to accept that someone else is making her happy now." She paused before continuing in a softer voice, hoping to cushion his hurt. "In a way that you can't anymore."

"Is that what you did?" Sam sneered. The jab thrown was intended to hurt her, make her go away. Bella was the last person he wanted to receive advice from.

Bella stared at him, confused. "Why can't her happiness be enough for you?"

"Why is any of this your business?" Sam asked, the wolf in his voice. He was seconds away from baring his teeth at her.

Jacob felt Sam's anger through the bond and frowned. His instincts were on high alert, his wolf watchful. What the hell was she thinking? Bella was unknowingly poking at an emotionally unstable werewolf.

"Leah's my friend and I'm making it my business. And don't try to intimidate me, Sam Uley. I am not afraid of you." To Jacob's amazement, her slender finger poked Sam in the chest.

Sam's animosity climbed. He cocked his head to the side, very wolf like in his gaze. Jacob noticed that Sam's outrage was drawing the attention of the wolves closest to him. He could feel their concern for Bella's safety through the bond. They were worried Sam would hurt her in his state.

"If you keep acting like this Emily will leave you." Sam became alert in a way Jacob hadn't seen in a long time. "Yeah Emily, remember her? Your wife. Your imprint. Mother of your unborn child. Do I really need to go on, Sam?"

Sam's nostril flared, a low growl rumbled in his chest.

Jacob was already moving toward them, desperate to stop Sam before he hurt her. There were too many people in his way. He'd never get there in time.

Unexpectedly, Sam's anger dissipated, leaving a tight knot of sorrow in its wake.

"I'm an idiot." Sam's smile was grim.

"Pretty much. Consider yourself lucky and be grateful Emily's so forgiving. If it were me, your balls would be in a jar on my nightstand." A wry grin lit up her face. She laid a soft hand on his arm, her face serious. "So many people would kill for what you have. Go find your wife, Sam."

An understanding seemed to pass between them then, before Sam wordlessly took off to find Emily.

Bella scanned the party for her friends and stared long enough to make sure they weren't looking at her, before disappearing into the crowd.

Jacob couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he made the decision to follow her. Relying purely on instinct, Jacob trailed after Bella as she slipped passed the couples making out at the edge of the party and into the woods. She stopped just beyond the cover of the forest and dug two pills out of her pocket.

Fury and disappointment grabbed hold of him. First she was on steroids, and then the pot smoking. Now she was popping pills? He couldn't turn a blind eye to this. No fucking way, not on his reservation. As far as Jacob was concerned, Bella could take her drug addiction elsewhere.

Jacob stormed over to Bella and smacked the pills out of her hand before she had the opportunity to take them.

"Fucking werewolf," Bella snarled as she turned on him, practically shaking with rage.

"I never pegged you for a drug addict." He couldn't be any more disappointed in her.

"Wait–you think I'm a drug addict?!" She sputtered incredulously.

He raised his hand, cutting her off before she could continue. "Save the indignant act for someone who'll buy it." He grabbed her shoulders and forced her upright when she attempted to dig through the dirt and dried leaves for her pills. "You want to get high, do it somewhere else."

_Jesus, was she _that_ desperate for a fix?_

She struggled weakly against him, her heartbeat accelerating. "I see you still have a nasty habit of putting your hands on things that don't _belong_ to you."

"Oh yeah, I remember you always did prefer big, glittering mosquitoes over the real thing." Bitterness swelled inside him. Edward Cullen would always be a sore spot between them.

"Nah. I just decided to stop wasting my time on dead end relationships. And in case you haven't noticed, wolf, I have the real thing." That little taunt coupled with her wicked grin was a deliberate attempt at provoking him.

Well, it worked.

Jacob growled low in his throat before he could stop himself. There was no one alive who could push his buttons the way Bella Swan did.

They glared at each other and then out of nowhere Jacob suddenly asked, "Why did you come back here?"

For a moment, her potent gaze wavered, allowing him to see the cracked confidence underneath the rage. In a split second her wall was back up again. Her rage had returned, hot and pulsing against his skin.

Jacob immediately released her in self aimed disgust. He barely remembered reaching for her. That was his wolf's push to get its paws on her. From now on, he'd do his damnedest to make sure his wolf never outmaneuvered him again. If his wolf continued to push its will on him… things could get a hell of a lot more difficult.

"I bet it was a nasty shock when I showed up yesterday; healthy and alive. It must suck to be you. I bet you were waiting for that phone call about my funeral. And yet, here I am." She moved toward him, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

Bella advanced on him and then winced as if the movement caused her pain.

"Do you enjoy seeing me suffer? It's good times for you, isn't it? You have your perfect imprint and your perfect life. And me? Everyday I get to feel like my limbs are on fire. Fun times! I was an English major, and now I can't structure a decent sentence to save my life." Angry tears rolled down her cheeks and she quickly brushed them away. "I used to have the perfect life too. I had everything I could ever want, and then lost it all in one swoop. Now I'm feeling so damn sorry for myself, I can barely find the strength to complain. But what do you care?"

She tipped her head back and met his gaze. Her anger and outright defiance challenged the wolf's dominant nature. Jacob's claws dug into his palms as he battled the wolf's urgings to tame and make her submit. He couldn't go there with Bella, she wasn't pack. Besides, Jacob instinctively knew she would resist any and all attempts at bridling. This woman wasn't meek or mild. She was a hellion in boots.

Suddenly, her shoulders sagged, blazing anger seemed to dissipate before his very eyes. Her aggression slipped away, leaving behind a woman who scarcely had enough energy to curse him out. She abruptly spun on her heel and walked away.

Now it was his turn to be confused. What the hell was she talking about? _Waiting to hear about her funeral?_ Sure he was still pissed at her for lying to him, but never once had he ever wished anything bad would happen to her.

She paused on the edge of the forest. "Do us both a favor. Go back to pretending I'm dead. That should make things easier on you."

Jacob saw her actions for what it was; running away. He gave into the wolf's compulsion to hunt her down and went after her. He was determined to get the truth out of her one way or another.

By the time Jacob emerged from the woods, Bella had covered quite a bit of ground. Where was she going? Back to the safety of her _gang_? And just where the hell did she get this idea that he was leading a charmed life?

Every muscle in Bella's body was rigid. Her breath came in short pants, heart picking up an unsteady beat as she stomped back to the party.

"Bella, get back here." Jacob called after her.

His lips parted in outrage when she stopped, gave him the finger and kept on walking.

Jacob cursed, watching as Bella disappeared into the mass of dancing bodies.

"Guess it didn't go so well." Carmen attempted to commiserate but she couldn't hide her pleased grin. "I'm proud of you for confronting her. It was the right thing to do."

At least one of them was sure he'd done the right thing. More and more he was beginning to feel like he just made a terrible mistake.

"I don't know, Carmen. Maybe I overreacted."

"Don't start doubting yourself now, Jake. Bella's not the same girl. She's got some serious problems." She took his face in her hands. "Listen. How about we skip the party and call it an early night?"

Carmen tugged at his hair, attempting to draw him closer for a kiss. She pressed herself against him in erotic invitation.

Wait, _now_ she was in the mood?

"I can't. I have to patrol after the party." He had to force the words out of his mouth, and pry his eyes away from her cleavage.

Carmen rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Can't you order someone else to patrol? You're not even on tonight's schedule."

"Come on, Carmen we talked about this. This is my job." His not being on the schedule meant nothing. He literally could not sleep until he did his nightly checks. Besides, he hadn't finished talking to Bella. They still had unfinished business.

"I get it."

"Carmen–"

"Don't bother, Jake. Clearly your patrolling is more important than spending time with me."

Jacob sighed in frustration and rubbed a hand over his face. He was tired of them having the same argument over and over again.

"Don't start with me. You know that's not true."

"It's not? Then why am I spending yet another night alone?" Carmen snapped.

Jacob had to bite his tongue then to keep from lashing out at her. Spending the night alone? How many times did he sit at home–without complaint–when she chose to take on an extra shift at the hospital? But he knew better than to remind her of this little fact.

"Instead of waiting at home, how about you stay here and help Rachel and the others clean up after the party? I'll meet you back here when I'm done and we can head home together," Jacob suggested, trying to find some middle ground.

Unfortunately for Jacob, Carmen misinterpreted his words.

"Are you saying I don't help out enough? I knew you'd take Rachel's side over mine."

"Carmen–"

"You know what? Don't bother." She stamped off in a huff. No doubt heading to find Mel and Tess to complain about him some more.

He loved her, but did she have to be so damn difficult? Just once he'd like her to see his Alpha duties on the same level of importance as her own job. Being a werewolf wasn't a fun little hobby he could pick up and drop when it suited him. It was a commitment and yes, sometimes it had to come first.

He'd deal with Carmen later. Right now he had bigger fish to fry.

Seth was right. There was something wrong with Bella. He went in search of her, but when he arrived back at the party, she wasn't there. All of her friends were there, minus Taylor. The intermingling scents of the crowd–sweat and alcohol–made it difficult for him to track her scent, but he finally picked up her trail, leading toward the parking lot.

It was there he found her, sitting on the bonnet of the car she came in with her friends.

Jacob had never seen Bella look so completely and utterly alone.

Suddenly, Jacob found himself hesitant to approach her. What would he say to her? He sure as hell wasn't about to apologize. She smoked pot at a party that had teenagers in it. No, she'd get no apology from him. Not about that.

Just as he was about to step out of the shadows, Taylor appeared.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. Why are you out here by yourself?"

Bella plastered on a fake smile. "I had to get away from the loud music."

Neither Jacob nor Taylor missed her wince as she slid across the bonnet and stood.

Taylor immediately became concerned. "Are you in pain?"

She nodded and pressed her forehead against his chest.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," Bella murmured.

"Don't you usually carry a couple of painkillers with you?"

"I… I forgot." From the look on Bella's face, Jacob could tell that lie cost a large chunk of her pride.

_Painkillers?_

The guilt was like a claw raking his gut when he realized it was medication he prevented her from taking. He felt a cold knot of shame, remembering the way he'd ambushed and called her a drug addict. Jacob was especially bewildered as to why–given the way he'd treated her–she opted not to tell Taylor what he did.

"Good thing I always keep a few on me, just in case." Taylor reached into his pocket, and removed a small plastic pouch.

Bella promptly burst into tears and Taylor gathered her in his arms, holding her while she sobbed.

The strong urge to protect and comfort rode Jacob hard upon witnessing Bella's stark vulnerability. It didn't sit well with the wolf when Jacob ruthlessly smothered the compulsion. Comforting Bella was not his place, not any more.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Taylor asked softly.

Bella shook her head.

Taylor gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. "What's got you so upset? Did something happen?"

"Everything's changed. I'm a giant mess and I don't know if…" She sniffled, struggling to articulate what she wanted to say. "There are things I don't remember, Taylor. Things about us. I'm different." She looked away guiltily.

"It's okay because I'm different too." Taylor smiled wistfully. "I know things have been really tough on you, but remember what Carlisle said. Things will eventually get easier. You've been through the hardest part."

Jacob began to feel as if he was intruding on their private moment. Watching them gaze into each other's eyes made his stomach clench with more unwanted emotions. He turned to leave, but Taylor's next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Carlisle cut out all the tumors. You've had radiation, chemo and now you're in remission."

Jacob spun around, his eyes wide with shock, body shaking from the emotional blow he'd just been dealt.

_Tumors_ echoed over and over in his mind.

Bella had cancer? And they all knew. Charlie, Sue and even his own dad.

They knew and deliberately kept it from him!

He was overpowered by a conflicting range of emotions. Fury, betrayal and hurt collided, making it difficult for him to hold on to his human form. He hadn't been this out of control since the time Leah taunted him about Bella and Taylor's relationship.

Each wolf had a limit. A moment when the wolf could suppress its human counterpart and become feral. Jacob had reached his limit. He was going wolf and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. If he shifted here it wouldn't be safe. Not for Bella and definitely not for the man _comforting_ her. He had to get out of here. He was a ticking time bomb.

Sweat broke out on his forehead and his skin began to burn. Indescribable pain tore at his consciousness. The need to hunt and feed became overwhelming until it was all he could see. All he could feel. Using his last bit of sanity, Jacob propelled his convulsing body toward the forest a few yards away.

The wolves on patrol would give him a wide berth tonight. Predators would instinctively flee his territory. Sam and the other senior wolves would be called out to watch over him from a safe distance. They would steer him away from campsite and hikers. Carmen would undoubtedly be pissed as he wouldn't be home tonight.

But none of it mattered.

Nothing else mattered but the irresistible yearning to feel flesh beneath his claws, and the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. After he'd hunted, he'd think about the gross betrayal by the people closest to him.

Four paws hit the ground and Jacob surrendered his mind to the wolf.

God help the vampire that crossed his path tonight.

* * *

**A/N:** Damn this chapter was hard to write. Jacob and Bella are both being so stubborn and not wanting to talk to each other.

The song Bella was shaking her ass to was** Linkin Park's** Lies Greed Misery. Fun song!

Pics of Carmen are up on my profile.

What do you think of Rachel and the wolf girls scheming?

Should Bella have spoken to Sam about his behavior?

Carmen's looking forward to hanging out with Bella. What could she have in store for our Izzy?

What are your impressions of Carmen?

Now we know what Bella has been going through for the past year and a half... and that's just the half of it.

How do you feel about Jacob and Bella's argument?

Will Jacob stay silent about what he heard?

Or will he confront his betrayers?

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	5. A Fun Game of Poke the Bear

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Jacob sat at his kitchen table with a long forgotten bottle of beer clutched in his hand.

Hours before, he'd woken up disoriented and covered in the blood and entrails of some unfortunate animal he'd butchered in his bloodlust. Still in their wolf form, Sam, Jared and Paul cautiously approached, calling to him with their minds. The instant they attempted to probe him for answers, he slammed his mind shut with a fierce growl that made them step back.

In silence the wolves followed him home, but he'd refused to let them come inside. He growled in warning each time one of them tried to approach his house. He wasn't ready to talk to any of them yet. Not when perpetual rage threatened to overwhelm him again. Eventually, they'd gotten the message and left him to stew in peace.

For the first time ever, Jacob had been relieved to come home to an empty house. With Carmen at the hospital, he savored the quiet because when she got home, he'd have some explaining to do. With the way they'd left things last night and him not coming home, she would've been worried sick.

He couldn't go to the workshop. Trevor and Quil would be there and he wasn't ready to be around people yet. His skin still itched with the temptation to let the wolf run loose.

No matter how hard he tried, Jacob could not get past the burning cauldron of rage that continued to bubble away inside him. His sense of betrayal was so deep, so fierce. How could they all keep this from him? Sue, Charlie, his own father… And then an even more disturbing thought occurred to him. Who else among his pack knew? Leah, Emily?

He had no idea how long he sat, deep in thought.

Light footsteps and the squeak of wheelchair tires across his porch alerted him that he had visitors. They didn't pause to knock before entering the house. If they had, he would've told them to go away.

Billy wheeled himself in first, followed closely by Sue. The wolf took notice of the way they stood close to the door, almost as if they were unsure of his stability. Billy quietly regarded Jacob's stony features and spoke, his voice hesitant. "Son, Sam came by. He said you went feral last–"

"Bella had cancer."

Sue paled at the razor-sharp edge in Jacob's tone, while Billy's expression remained unchanged. He always knew this day would come.

"So you know." Billy said, simultaneously feeling the weight of Bella's secret lifting off his shoulders.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" Jacob asked, stark disbelief in his tone. "After you all got together and decided to make choices about my life _again_."

Billy made a placating gestured with his hand, his stomach curdling with guilt. "Jacob, please calm down–"

"Kind of like when you all decided I didn't need to know about claiming," Jacob cut in harshly.

The stench of that betrayal still hung between them like a decaying body. Billy knew Jacob had never really forgiven them for that. One of Jacob's first act as Alpha was to inform the unmated wolves of their right to choose. He'd been singlehandedly responsible for the elders' acceptance of claimed mates. His goal was to ensure the other wolves be given the choice he never had.

Sue began, "We had to consider effect this would have on the pack–"

"I had a right to know!" Jacob's hands came down on the table with enough force to crack its wooden surface. That oak table had been the first piece of furniture he made with his own hands and now it was broken; much like his trust in them.

Billy's eyes widened but Sue had recovered from her shock, her own temper blazing. "No, you didn't have the right! Where Bella's concerned you have no rights!"

Jacob's wolf snarled in response to her words, his red haze of rage threatening to return.

"She's right, son." Billy's voice didn't betray the depth of sadness in his heart over that fact. There was a time when he'd hoped Bella would join their family as his daughter-in-law, but too much had happened since then. Bella and Jacob belonged to different people now, and nothing in the world would change that. If only he'd told Jacob about claiming in the beginning then things would've turned out differently. But some mistakes can never be undone. "Bella asked for privacy, Jacob. She had a right to it."

Jacob tried to regain control of his rapid breathing. That they couldn't see why keeping this a secret from him was wrong. That they were still trying to justify their lies, astounded him to no end. He hated being lied to and being made to feel like his feelings didn't matter.

Sue decided to try a different tactic. "Ask yourself this. Why didn't Bella call you herself and tell you she was sick?"

Her question threw him off. What did that have to do with anything?

"I'm talking about the night you two fought over the phone after you found out why she left. You ended your friendship and never called her again. Why would she think you would care that she was sick?"

Like a ghost, his words from that night came back to haunt him.

_I'm done, Bella. I'm through chasing after you. I don't care what you do anymore._

He'd been hurt and angry when he hurled those words at her. Having to find out from Leah that she'd lied to him and almost got attacked by some nut job, made him lose his temper.

His voice was considerably calmer the next time he spoke. "Did Leah know?"

"No. Leah has no idea. And don't be angry at Charlie. He didn't know either. Taylor only called him when..." Sue briefly shut her eyes. "Things took a turn for the worst."

Sue let those words hang in the air.

Bitterness laced his words. "When would you have told me? After she died? Would that have earned me an invite to her funeral?" He held up his hand when Billy tried to speak. "Justify it all you want. None of you respected me enough to tell me the truth. What happens to Bella affects me, now more than ever. Maybe I'll forgive you for this someday, but it won't be today. Now, get out."

Knowing there was nothing else she could say, Sue left. Billy paused in the doorway to look back at his son.

"Four years ago, you were the hero Bella needed when she was lost and scared. I think you're more upset over finding out that Bella was sick, and she refused to turn to you like she did before."

They left him alone to ponder the truth behind Billy's words. Their deception wasn't the thing that upset him the most. The fact that Bella hadn't tried to contact him at all was proof of just how little he meant to her. Her actions showed that she never really loved him at all.

That thought made him flip the broken table over in rage.

* * *

Ignoring Liz's groan, Bella pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Having a large scar on her back to contend with, Bella decided against a bikini. Instead, she went with a coral tie front t-shirt with matching boy shorts. On impulse she grabbed a black baseball cap and slipped it on. She expected the beach to be windy and windy weather always made her a little nervous. Frowning at her reflection, Bella alternated between fussing with her bangs and ponytail. Then she began to second-guess her choice of beachwear. Maybe she should change again–

Another impatient groan came from behind her.

"Angela, please tell Izzy she looks fine. She never believes it when I say it."

Twisting away from the mirror, Bella eyed Liz enviously as she ran a hand through her waist-length locks. Her willowy body was decked out in a barely there monokini. The pink and white swimsuit complimented her complexion, and had ties at her neck, back and hips with beaded detailing throughout. No, Liz would never get it. Her beauty was effortless. It would be pointless trying to explain to Liz the havoc cancer had wrecked on her self-esteem.

"Leave her be, Liz. If she needs to stare at herself in the mirror for another fifteen minutes, then that's what she has to do." Angela looked up from the magazine she was flipping through. Her smile turned sympathetic. "But she's right, Bella. What you have on looks great." Angela's dark hair was now shoulder length. After her traumatic breakup with Trent, she'd chopped it off, feeling the need for change. A shirt covered the top half of her blue bikini.

Remorse colored Liz's expression. "I'm sorry, Izzy. I didn't mean–"

"It's fine." Bella shrugged her off nonchalantly. "You guys ready to go."

"Yeah. I'm kind of surprised my Neanderthal has not once yelled–"

Liz was interrupted by the bellow of said Neanderthal.

"Oh God! What's taking so long!"

"Whoops. Spoke too soon." Liz rolled her eyes and followed Bella and Angela out of the bedroom.

Ryan and Taylor waited for them at the bottom of the stairs.

"Sexy mama!" Ryan whistled in appreciation and Liz giggled.

Taylor took her hand, his mouth curving into a smile. "You look beautiful."

Taylor might have been exaggerating but pleasure surged through her nonetheless. That pleasure faded when she caught sight of the terrible scars on his otherwise unmarred chest. Unable to bear the physical evidence of her guilt, Bella tore her gaze away and found Angela scrutinizing Taylor's injuries. Her perceptive gaze wandered to Bella, but she didn't ask the question that was undoubtedly burning on her tongue.

_How did Taylor get that scar on his chest?_

Ryan mercifully spoke up then, breaking the painful silence. "Leah and Zach said they'll catch up with us on the beach."

After grumbling about the guys eating her out of house and home, Leah decided to do some grocery shopping. When Taylor offered to chip in, Leah turned him down. She didn't want to give up her right to make them feel bad about eating up all her food. And with Susie Q running low on mice, Zach decided to tag along.

They quickly piled into Ryan's rental and headed for the beach.

Bella caught sight of the beach in the distance and felt optimism spread through her. The majority of her enthusiasm had to do with finally seeing their new home in Port Angeles. The past couple of days, she'd been so busy–picking out drapes and furniture–that she hadn't found the time to visit with Emily and the others. The house was beautiful. It still brought a smile to her face every time she thought about it. She couldn't wait to move in, and start testing out recipes for the café.

After all the papers were signed and the keys were in her possession, the doubts began to creep in.

_It was too much._

_She couldn't accept it._

_She couldn't let Taylor spend that kind of money on her. _

Then in the midst of her protesting, it hit her. If a handsome man wanted to buy her a house, who the hell was she to object? Taylor was right. After everything Bella had been through, she deserved some good in her life. And if that good came in the form of a beautiful four bedroom house with a kitchen to die for, who was she to argue. To Bella, it was more than just a house, it was their new beginning.

Despite the packed parking lot, Ryan managed to find a small spot to squeeze into.

Bella angled her face toward the warm rays of the sun. A smile teased her lips as she filled her lungs with fresh air. Today's weather was perfect with the sun occasionally peeking out from behind clouds. It was a good day to be alive.

"You're in a good mood for a girl who's about to spend the day with her ex and his new girlfriend." Angela teased as Taylor and Ryan unloaded their stuff from the car.

"I had a good night."

Bella didn't need to elaborate as Liz and Angela immediately knew what she meant. A good night for her meant _not_ being woken up by terrible pains or numbness in her hands and feet. The removal of the brain tumor had left her with some nerve damage. She didn't know why but her nerve pain always seemed to be worse at night.

Besides, this wasn't a day with Native American Barbie. She was just looking forward to a fun day at the beach with friends.

Bella fought a cringe, thinking of the argument she'd had with Jacob. She knew she shouldn't have smoked that joint Liz gave her. Just when she thought Jacob's opinion of her couldn't sink any lower. Now he thought she was some kind of drug addict. No doubt after smelling it on her.

It hadn't been her first time at the cannabis rodeo. For more than a year, Bella had secretly ingested cannabis oil when the high-dose chemotherapy treatments made her too sick to eat. Carlisle and Alice went against her doctors who scoffed when they suggested it might also help fight the cancer.

Guilt still niggled at Bella because she really had no excuse for the other night. She'd quit the pot around the same time she'd completed her chemotherapy. The temptation to smoke hadn't been that bad since then.

Things were going fine until Carmen sauntered over and introduced herself.

This was the woman destiny had chosen for Jacob. Carmen. The beautiful, leggy nurse who was perfect for him in every way. Everything Bella was not. There's nothing like being provided with the physical evidence of your shortcomings. The moment she laid eyes on Carmen, all of her old insecurities came rushing back. The surgical scars, the weight gain, the _hair_ and Evan. It was a daily struggle, coming to terms with everything that had happened to her. True, Carlisle and Alice had saved Bella's life, but she would never be okay with what it'd cost.

She just wanted to feel… something other than what she was feeling. And she did. That damn joint got her so high, she ended up grinding on Taylor and mouthing off to Sam. Too bad Emmett hadn't been there to witness the show. He always got a kick out of her when she was high. Liz still had hours of footage of Bella acting loopy when she was experiencing one of her psychedelic highs.

What the hell was she thinking, getting involved in Emily's business? All Bella could do was hope she hadn't made things worse. Sam seemed pretty mad at first.

Bella made an effort to push those unpleasant thoughts aside.

No. She refused to worry today. Instead, she diverted her attention toward the cry of seagulls, the people having fun in the sand, the guy wearing a… _man panty_?

As they passed a group of people playing volley ball, Bella caught Taylor staring at the ocean with a hint of longing on his face. The day they moved into the Cullen mansion marked the date of his last swim, and that had been over a year ago. In giving up their apartments, he'd lost access to the building's indoor swimming pool. Between school and her illness, Taylor hadn't allowed himself to take part of any activity that didn't include her.

"Go ahead. I know you want to," Bella encouraged, watching his face. It was like waving a bottle of tequila in the face of a recovering alcoholic.

"Sure you don't mind?" Taylor's eyes were filled with reluctance, the wind ruffling his hair. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he went over the list of potential scenarios in his mind.

She could have another anxiety attack.

Her neuropathy could flare up again.

Her energy levels could drop again.

She could have another seizure.

Bella's anger still swelled every time she thought about how Carlisle succeeded in scaring the living daylights out of Taylor with his worst-case scenario stories. _Bella is still anemic. Getting the flu could land her in the hospital. Make sure she takes __**all**__ her pills everyday. And don't let her skip a single one; you know she'll try to fight you on it._

Taylor had to promise he would look after Bella's health with the same vigilance that Carlisle and Alice did. They wouldn't have allowed them to leave Hanover otherwise. Bella resented the kind of pressure they'd placed on him. She had no doubts about his devotion to her. How could they forget the hefty price he'd paid for her survival?

"I'll be fine. Go on." _Please go do something for yourself, _she pleaded internally. Being the source of his constant concern was exhausting beyond belief.

"Okay, I won't be long." He grasped her chin and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.

After handing over their towels, Taylor began to make his way toward the water's edge. Bella drank in the sight of Taylor's tribal tattoo snaking down his back. She felt a pang of sadness when she tried and failed to recall the night they got their tattoos. In addition to nerve damage, the removal of her brain tumor had also left her with several holes in her memory. Though Taylor was always willing to fill in the blank spots, Bella sometimes felt as if she was being told stories about someone else's life.

Angela draped an arm around Bella's shoulder and sighed. "I gotta say, Bella. I'm still loving the sight of that man's tattoo."

"Me too." Bella agreed without preamble.

Bella was still wearing a soft smile when her skin began to prickle with the sensation of being watched. She glanced away and found Jacob's blazing eyes trained on her. She struggled against the urge to squirm under the weight of his unreadable stare. What did she do this time? Every time she turned around he was staring at her. He probably thought she had no right to be anywhere near his precious Carmen. After that thought, it was difficult to bury her anger and resist the urge to flip him the bird.

It still burned, each time she remembered writing that letter, begging him like a fool to come to Hanover. She'd poured her heart and pride into that letter and he couldn't be bothered to show up. If he had called and said _die bitch_, it would've hurt less. Instead, she got nothing. No phone call, no reply letter, just silence.

Even after all these years Jacob's shirtless form was still impressively built. His body, taut with sinewy muscles and rock hard abs, belonged to a vampire killing juggernaut. She detected an abrupt change in his demeanor as Taylor drew closer to where he sat with the pack. The lean muscles in Taylor's back flexed when he angled his head, bestowing Jacob with a look that filled her with trepidation.

Bella risked a glance at Jacob and glimpsed a cold, hardness in his eyes that frightened her. The air around both men suddenly became charged with the primal energy of two predators, wolf and draken. She half expected them to growl at each other. Bella held her breath and a chill danced over her spine.

Taylor broke their staring match, redirecting his attention toward the water and waded in. When the water reached his hips, he dove in, submerging himself completely. He resurfaced and swam further away from the shore.

All the muscles in Jacob's body were stiff as his eyes tracked Taylor's retreating form, his jaw tight with suppressed rage. When his cold gaze settled on her once more, his Alpha mask was firmly in place, giving nothing away.

The moment couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, though witnessing that scene left Bella feeling a little drained and wondering what the hell that was about. She was overly glad they were moving into the new house tomorrow. The less contact Jacob and Taylor had with each other, the better. They way they stared at each other made her skin crawl.

Bella heard someone calling her name and located the wolf girls waving at her from their blanket, which was next to the one Carmen shared with her friends.

As Angela went on ahead, Liz moved in close and spoke low enough that only Ryan and Bella heard. "Did you see the look Jacob and Taylor gave each other?"

"Yeah. It was weird." _And kind of disturbing_, Bella added silently.

"Guess they don't like each other." Ryan shrugged.

"This goes way beyond not liking each other." Liz's grim comment evoked Bella and Ryan's scrutiny. "The level of hostility I picked up from those guys was off the charts. Seriously, I never felt anything this bad when Taylor had to be around Edward everyday. And you guys know how he feels about vampires."

Though Taylor and Edward would never be friends, they learned to put aside their prejudices for her sake. Bella recalled the night Taylor finally told her the truth about what he was, and the blood feud that existed between draken and the Volturi. In Spain, Taylor grew up on stories of how the Volturi slaughtered his people which then led to centuries of battles involving the two groups. To say Taylor despised vampires was an understatement.

Before leaving Hanover, Carlisle had reassured everyone after they expressed their concerns about the Volturi hunting Bella. Apparently, there was some sort of ongoing dispute between the Italian vampires. The Cullens were hoping their conflict would keep them busy for the next fifty years or so. For her friends' sake, Bella hoped they were right. Otherwise, it would be a shame to survive cancer, only to have the Volturi come after her in the end.

"Liz, I have a favor to ask." It embarrassed Bella to have to make this request, seeing as Liz had already walked away from a job offer to move to Washington.

Liz already guessed where she was headed with this. "You're going to ask me to turn off my ability, aren't you?"

"Let's just have an ordinary day, all right?" In other words, quit using your emphatic ability to spy on people's feelings. In the past, Liz rarely used her power, but she'd used it so much in the passed year it was second nature to her now. Taylor had been right to limit the use of his telekinesis. When a draken made a habit of using their ability, it usually became an addiction.

After a momentary pout, Liz reluctantly agreed. "Fine but you should know that Carmen doesn't like you."

"Yeah, I figured," Bella laughed, somehow she wasn't surprised. At the party, Carmen looked at her like a bug she wanted to squash.

Even as they neared Emily and the others, Carmen was eying her with a look akin to distrust. Maybe she'd hoped Bella wouldn't show.

Liz whispered, "She's threatened by you." When Bella leveled her with a frowned, Liz said, "I don't need my powers to see that."

On the inside, Bella felt a little disappointed. In no way did she expect to be friends with Carmen, but she'd hoped to avoid the petty jealousy over something that had happened four years ago. In any case, why on earth would Jacob's imprint feel threatened by her? Bella left Forks because she knew Jacob was meant for somebody else. She left to spare them both the pain and drama that would've followed the moment he gave into the imprint. She'd known that she would never be able to compete, so why the hell was Carmen eying her like she was there to steal her man?

Turning down Rachel's invitation to share their blanket, Bella and her friends spread their own and settled down next to them. Between sitting with a bunch of hens (his words) or guys, Ryan chose the latter. The choice was an easy one, especially when some of the wolves were encouraging him to sit with them. Apparently, they wanted to pick up where they'd left off with their sports debate.

Carmen introduced Bella and her friends to the other imprints; Mel, Tess and her two coworkers; Haley and Jenna.

To Bella's dismay, Carmen was even more stunning in daylight. Luxurious waves of black hair framed her delicate face. Her brown eyes lacked warmth, but when combined with her pert nose and full lips, Carmen exuded a sort of aloof beauty that probably drove men wild. Her flawless skin and model thin body were enhanced by the fire red bikini top and matching shorts she wore. Carmen made her feel like the creature from the Black Lagoon.

A small smile tugged at Bella's lips as she watched Jared chase JJ around the beach. The toddler squealed with delight when Jared laughingly scooped him up and spun him around. Not far from where Jared and his son played, Ryan tossed a football around with some unfamiliar wolves. Bella couldn't help but notice the way their muscles rippled and gleamed with sweat in the sunlight.

Unfortunately, their impressive display drew the appreciative gazes of Liz and Angela. Bella cringed internally when she heard their cackles and their _hubba-hubba _comments.

"Check it out." Angela peeked over the rim of her sunglasses.

"Damn, look at those abs." Liz's eyes were glazed over.

Bella flinched when Seth slammed into Ryan and tackled him to the ground. Although she could tell Seth tried to be as careful as possible, it didn't stop her stomach from lurching with fear. It felt like watching a polar bear try to play with a baby seal. One slip and Ryan could end up with a broken bone or worse.

"I feel like I've died and gone to muscle-bound heaven." Angela said with a sigh and Bella caught the wolves grinning at each other.

"Easy, girls," Bella warned. "Some of those guys are married and not to mention the under aged boys. I'm not going to lift a finger if these women decide to beat you down."

"I can't speak for Carmen and the others but I don't mind the ogling." Rachel piped up with a smile.

"Me neither." Kim exchanged a conspiratory grin with Rachel. "In fact, I'd like to know who's the hottest out of the bunch."

"Disregard marital status, offspring and age of course. Come on, tell us. Who's the most good-looking?" Emily's eyes sparked with mischief, her hands rubbing the hard mound of her pregnant belly.

Bella heaved a quiet sigh. _Et tu, Emily?_

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Don't be silly, Bella. It's all in good fun." Carmen's tone was light, and yet her words held a slight edge.

Immediately Bella was on her guard. She knew the wolves were listening to their every word. Besides it was kind of degrading, asking her friends to judge the wolves like livestock. The wolves were probably already used to the effect they tended to have on the female populace.

"Well it goes without saying that my Ryan is the sexiest guy here. But if I had to pick, I'd go for…" Liz's green eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the muscled physique of each wolf. "Him."

Kim released an unladylike snort and Emily choked on her soda when Liz pointed to Paul. Carmen and her friends dissolved in a fit of mean-spirited giggles. Even Bella held her hand over her mouth, trying to smother her laughter.

"What?" Liz scrunched up her face in confusion.

"That's Paul." Rachel enlightened her. When she was met with Liz's blank stare she added, "My fiancé."

"Good for you. That guy's hot." Liz's candid reply was delivered with a wink.

"Yeah, he is." Rachel acceded proudly and Bella swore Paul puffed his chest out.

"How about you, Angela?" Tess prompted.

"I'm not sure." Angela tapped her chin in contemplation. "Who's that guy?"

Bella bristled when Angela pointed to the wolf sitting next to Jacob.

The dismissive words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Oh, that's nobody. Just Quil."

Angela's eyebrows shot up at the sharpness in Bella's tone. A discrete glance at the now snickering wolves confirmed that her comment had been heard loud and clear. If the scowl on Quil's face was anything to go by, her comment had pissed him off. He managed to scratch his cheek and flip her off at the same time. She allowed herself to feel a little vindictive pleasure.

"Um… What do you think about the cute guy sitting next to him?" Bella decided to shine the spotlight on someone much more deserving than that obnoxious jerk.

Liz and Angela's eyes lit up. "Ooh. Who's that?"

"That sexy beast right there is Embry Call. And get this…" Bella leaned toward them and cupped her hand around her mouth. "_Still single_."

"No way." Angela was positively scandalized.

"Way."

Angela, Liz and Bella wiggled their fingers and intoned in unison. "_Hi, Embry!"_

They broke down in giggles when a red-faced Embry waved back halfheartedly.

"What about you, Bella?" Carmen gave Bella a cool, evaluating stare.

"Me?" Bella looked up in surprise.

"Yeah. Who would you go for if you weren't with Taylor?" Carmen asked, a strange little smile gracing her lips.

Bella shifted in discomfort as all feminine eyes settled on her.

Well now Bella _really_ didn't want to play this game. She especially didn't like the way Carmen regarded her. Instinct told her that Carmen was spoiling for a fight. If it had been any other day, Bella would've been up for a fun game of _poke the bear_. But she wasn't in the mood, truth be told. Jacob's imprint had a bug up her ass about something, and Bella had no desire to rile her up even more.

Her answer caught them all by surprise.

"Michael."

Rachel gave her a knowing smile.

Michael might have been the safe choice but Bella really thought he was cute. She couldn't get over how much Michael reminded her of Jacob. Well… the old Jacob anyway. The shameless, cocky way he flirted with her in front of Taylor, was reminiscent of the way Jacob boldly pursued her even though she'd been dating Edward at the time. Luckily, Michael was too busy playing football with Ryan and the others to hear her answer. For that she was grateful. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage anymore of his flirting.

"You really like them young, don't you?" Tess said snidely.

"Excuse me?" Bella choked out, completely unprepared for Tess' hostility.

"She's talking about the fact that you hooked up with Jacob when he was just sixteen." Mel oh so helpfully explained.

Bella's eyes widened as she felt an unstoppable wave of heat creeping up her neck. Liz and Angela were both too shocked to speak. Carmen didn't need to say anything. The cold, little smile on her face said it all. She was enjoying herself. Did she put them up to this?

"There are a lot of guys sitting in jail for doing the same thing you got away with." Mel said in a scathing voice.

Bella was at a loss for words.

She couldn't help but wonder if that was how Jacob felt. Did he think that she took advantage of him? Was that why he seemed to hate her now?

Bella risked a glance in Jacob's direction and found him staring off into the distance, his Alpha mask firmly in place. Of all the times for him not to meet her eyes.

The night that had always been so special to her, now felt tainted and dirty. Maybe she should've sent him away from her room that night. Although Bella had only been eighteen at the time, in the eyes of the law she was the adult. She should've made him leave–

"That's funny because I don't recall my brother's age being a problem when you slithered into his bed, Carmen." Rachel's contemptuous words elicited gasps of shock from Carmen's coworkers.

Paul had given up all pretenses and was openly staring at them with lines of worry carved in his face. The poor guy looked as though he was seconds away from having a heart attack. Rachel seemed to be crossing some sort of invisible line.

The identical shadows of guilt Mel and Tess wore on their faces would've been comical to Bella, if she wasn't horribly embarrassed herself. Apparently in their quest to paint her as some kind of sexual predator, Mel and Tess had forgotten that little fact was not common knowledge. Carmen's friends just gave her coworkers some juicy gossip to spread around the hospital come Monday.

Fury contorted Carmen's features and Bella feared she was about to lunge at Rachel who stared back at her unapologetically. Kim nervously gulped her soda and Emily busied herself with the cooler. After what felt like an eternity, Carmen looked away with a sniff and Rachel's mouth curved with unrepentant amusement.

It was at that moment Bella discovered the underlying tension existing between the two groups of women. She began to take notice of other little things. Like the way they occupied two separate blankets, and how each group provided their own food and drinks. She had a vague recollection of Emily telling her about a problem among the imprints, but that had been years ago. Bella was even more astonished that Rachel had defended her to Carmen, Jacob's imprint. Weren't all imprints supposed to stick together?

Rachel fixed Bella with a serious look. "You can relax, Bella. I can guarantee my brother's not crying himself to sleep at night because you gave him exactly what he wanted."

The silence that followed was a nerve-wracking one. Bella began to scan the ocean, trying to locate Taylor among the other swimmers. A pang of disappointment hit her hard when she came up empty. He was probably too far out. The mere sight of him always soothed her in a way nothing else did. Something Bella craved now that she'd begun to have second thoughts about coming here. A day at the beach suddenly lost its appeal.

Suddenly locking herself in Seth's old room and smoking the rest of his stash didn't seem like such a bad idea. Too bad Ryan had already flushed the rest of the pot down the toilet. Damn him and his straight-laced ways!

Liz whispered, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown. "You okay, Izzy?"

"I'm fine." Bella's smile didn't reach her eyes, though. And Liz noticed.

"Just say the word, Izzy, and I'll get those bitches for you." Liz only half joked.

Bella was both comforted and a bit fearful of how protective of her Liz had grown. Though Liz's guardian was not as aggressive as Taylor's, when awakened, her beast had the potential to do a lot of damage. Memory of the vicious fight between Liz and Alice, when the vampire attempted to turn Bella against her will, still gave her nightmares. Draken instinct would urge Liz to protect Bella from anything viewed as a threat, and right now Carmen and her friends were unknowingly walking a thin line.

"No, I'm good. But thanks though." Bella's attempt to muster up a convincing smile succeeded. She released a sigh of relief when Liz relaxed beside her.

Thankfully, Emily took charge of the conversation, inquiring about our post college plans. Liz's face lit up with excitement as she discussed her plans to pursue a master's degree in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins. Ryan, having decided that a career in investment banking was not for him, had plans to work toward obtaining his coaching certification. In a couple of weeks Angela was due to begin work in an entry-level position at her uncle's editing company, out in Port Angeles. She'd moved back into her old room until she could gather enough money for her own place.

"Oh, so you're back home with your parents? How has been going?" Liz bit into her chicken sandwich.

"My dad's driving me crazy." Angela groaned in frustration. "Apparently the way I live my life is an embarrassment to him and his congregation."

Angela's preacher father still had trouble accepting the woman who drank, partied and had multiple body piercings was not the shy, little bookworm he'd sent away to college in Florida.

"And he just won't let up about what happened with Trent–"

Bella's head shot up. "You _told_ him about Trent?"

"I'm not ashamed about Trent, Bella." She fixed Bella with a sharp stare before her expression softened. "And I didn't tell my dad what happened. I made the mistake of confiding in my mom and she ratted me out."

After their breakup, Trent began a downward spiral that ended with him overdosing on vodka and sleeping pills. That suicide attempt landed him in therapy. Last Bella heard, they still kept in touch and were damn near incapable of staying away from each other. She wondered how long it would be before Trent followed Angela to Washington.

"Well, if you want, you can stay with us until you find an apartment."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Angela accepted a sandwich from Emily.

"Of course not. You can stay in our spare bedroom." Bella nodded at Liz, grateful for her offer to Angela.

"What about you, Bella? Are you going to graduate school like Liz?" Kim inquired after retrieving a soda from the cooler.

"No. I didn't graduate so…" Bella's confession left her feeling a little embarrassed.

It would have been virtually impossible to maintain her 3.5 GPA while coping with the terrible memory problems brain surgery left her with. Not to mention she'd spent all of what would've been her senior year curled up in a ball, feeling like she was on the verge of death. Toward the end, Bella had begged for Carlisle to let her die. She wouldn't wish that kind of suffering on her worse enemy.

When Rachel offered Bella a soda, she turned that down in favor of a bottle of water. She was unaware that Carmen and her friends had been paying attention to their conversation.

"What happened? Did you flunk out?" Carmen suddenly asked, casting Bella an appraising look.

"Something like that." Bella replied softly, carefully keeping her tone even.

Dropping out of college was a sore spot for her. After her grim diagnosis, Liz and Taylor had wanted to take some time off but she wouldn't let them. She didn't want them to delay their education all because she had tumors growing in her body. Plus, something told her they'd need their classes to provide a welcomed distraction when life with the girl who had frequent seizures and bone pain became too much.

At the smug glint in Carmen's eyes, Liz went on the defensive. "For your information, she didn't flunk out. She–"

"Liz!" Bella barked as her temper ignited.

Liz snapped her mouth shut, swallowing the secret she'd come close to spilling. Green eyes clashed with brown as Liz gave Bella a frustrated look. With a stubborn set of her jaw, Liz looked away in a huff. She was pissed that Bella wouldn't let her put that self-righteous Carmen in her place. As far as Liz was concern, that bitch needed to be taken down a peg.

Drawing in several deep breaths, Bella tried to get a handle on the anger flowing through her. She didn't want anyone else knowing about the cancer. Not yet. She couldn't bear to have the wolf girls looking at her the way her friends did. As if she was a sad, broken creature to be pitied. When her friends looked at her now, their expressions always seemed to be colored with pity. The cancer was all they saw. Bella couldn't blame them, it was all she saw too whenever she looked in the mirror. She used to be fun and sexy, but now her days were filled with thoughts of how much her bones ached and the fatigue she couldn't seem to shake. These days her body felt much older than twenty-two years.

"Everything okay?" Kim inquired tentatively, kind eyes anxiously flicking from Liz to Bella.

"We're fine," Bella assured them. She reached over and squeezed Liz's hand in a silent apology.

When a slow smile spread across Liz's face, Bella knew all was forgiven. Liz couldn't stay mad at Bella, anymore than Bella could stay mad at her.

The awkward moment passed and Emily offered her something to eat.

Bella bit into a chocolate chip muffin and discovered that she was ravenous. This morning she hadn't been hungry and only had a banana–at Taylor's insistence–to avoid the problems that came along with taking pills on an empty stomach. In no time at all, the muffin disappeared and she reached for another.

Bella brought the muffin to her lips and froze when Carmen commented lightly, "You might want to ease up on the muffins, Bella. You're looking a little puffy."

Just like that, her appetite up and fled. Bella didn't understand how after countless reassurances about her appearance from her friends, it only took one careless comment from a virtual stranger to make her feel lousy about her body again.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you, thunder thighs." Liz shot back and Rachel snorted.

"Be nice, Liz." Bella warned with no real bite behind her words.

"I'm always nice," Liz said, with a touch of humor.

She couldn't truly stay mad at Liz for trying to look out for her. Besides Carmen's taunts were beginning to get on her nerves. If Jacob's imprint didn't let up soon, she would learn that Bella possessed a vicious streak of her own.

When Bella refocused her attention on Carmen, her lips were curved in a mocking smile. "Don't be so sensitive, Bella, I was just kidding."

"Let me offer you some advice. Get new jokes." Bella spoke softly and yet they were all able to hear the ice in her tone.

"And if I don't?" Carmen sat unmoving, an eyebrow arched in challenge.

All conversations around the two women ceased as a dangerous silence descended.

"Then you'll regret it." Bella's dark brown eyes went flat as a sudden wave of anger hit her hard.

Bella was done being polite. For whatever the reason, Carmen was threatened over her past with Jacob. She didn't understand it and, quite frankly, did not give a damn. This was the exact kind of shit she left Forks to avoid. The instant Carmen became Jacob's imprint, she'd won. He was hers. And yet Carmen still found the need to provoke Bella at every turn. After the hell she'd lived through, she wasn't about to swallow shit from anyone. Especially not Jacob Black's bitch of a soul mate.

"Is that a threat, Bella?" The words were forced out from between gritted teeth.

"No, it's a promise." The darkness was beginning to stir inside her again. Black rage began to coil itself around her mind like a poisonous snake.

The moment was broken when Ryan appeared grinning broadly with one of the wolves at his side, both completely ignorant to the argument they'd just interrupted.

"Ladies, we have a preposition for you."

* * *

Carmen had been in a strange mood all morning. Jacob had been expecting anger over Rachel inviting Bella to the beach to stir up trouble with Carmen. However, when Jacob woke, he was met with smiles and a feeling she had something up her sleeve.

None of the pack knew why he'd lost it the other night, and he couldn't bring himself to reveal her secret. It felt… wrong somehow. Apart from the deep, throbbing anger still blazing inside of him, reluctant worry ate at his heart. From the conversation he'd overheard between Bella and Taylor, she had completed all her chemo treatments. If that was true, what was the reason behind her pain the other night?

When their eyes met on the beach, Bella gave Jacob a cold, hard stare, her mouth tightening into a firm line. She was a walking contradiction. To Jacob's eyes, her body held a fragile quality, and yet she radiated a deep core of strength that made her unpredictable. His chest tightened with an unnamed emotion when he realized just how little he knew her now. She was a stranger to him. There was a time when he could identify every emotion flickering across her face.

His skin crawled, watching Taylor kiss her. The muscles in his body grew taut, almost to the point of pain. The unimaginable fury he felt when Taylor gave him a look that made his wolf growl with potent rage. His green eyes contained a message that Jacob read loud and clear.

Bella was off limits.

Taylor would always despise Jacob because Bella had loved him once. Not only that, he'd occupied such a large place in her heart that she'd even left Edward for him. If Bella had been honest with Taylor then he knew all about their one night stand. From a male perspective, Jacob understood why he'd feel that way. Knowing that another man had touched the one woman he'd probably sell his soul to possess must be a special kind of hell.

Little did Taylor know, Jacob was locked in his own version of hell. Every time Taylor touched or kissed Bella, Jacob found himself grappling with his wolf for control. He didn't trust the wolf's watchfulness around Bella's boyfriend. And with good reason too, his more feral half wanted blood, preferably Taylor's. Then there was the niggling suspicion that Taylor was more than he appeared to be.

"Guess he doesn't like you," Quil's snort drew Jacob's gaze.

Embry's eyes narrowed, his expression unexpectedly serious. "Check out his chest."

Five savage scars ran across Taylor's chest at an angle. The position of the scars showed that he'd been raked over his heart by some kind of wild animal. Having had intimate experiences with similar injuries, Jacob was certain those wounds were made by claws.

Their observations were cut short when Taylor entered the water and swam away. The wolf hoped he'd drown.

"Maybe he got into a fight with a bear," Paul suggested.

"And lost," Quil inserted with a smirk.

"If he was attacked by a bear and he's still alive, I'd say he won." Sam raised one shoulder in a shrug and finished his beer.

"I don't know… There's something off about that guy, but I can't put my finger on it," Embry murmured softly as if speaking to himself.

The other wolves nodded in agreement.

Jacob also shared their bewilderment when it came to Taylor. Human males were usually intimidated by him, almost as if they sensed he was otherworldly. But Taylor didn't have the normal human reaction–eyes darting away fearfully–when met by the dominance in his own. Even his own pack brothers knew better than to try and stare him down. Bella's human was either too brave or too stupid for his own good. Jacob didn't know the guy well enough to decide which.

Sitting across from Jacob, Sam sat tensely, his eyes following the movement of Bella's male friend. Sam relaxed visibly when Ryan chose to play football with the young wolves instead of sitting with the women. A pregnant mate tended to ramp up her wolf's protective instincts, especially around unfamiliar males. Jared had been the same way when Kim was pregnant. Even pack brothers were subjected to Sam's suspicion hinted glares each time he was convinced they were being overly friendly toward Emily. They would all rest easier when Sam's son was finally born.

Bella sat quietly with her feet folded neatly beneath her as her friends gaped at and complimented the pups playing with each other.

The bottle in his grasp almost shattered when Mel and Tess started in on her. The wolves sitting around him, shifted in discomfort, sensing his anger.

There could only be one reason why she didn't defend herself when Mel and Tess got on her case about them sleeping together. Jacob could only assume the redness on her face came from embarrassment. Did she regret what happened between them all those years ago? He didn't. They were each other's firsts and despite all the years they'd spent apart, he wouldn't trade that for anything… or anyone.

Jacob felt immense gratitude toward his sister for setting the record straight. He'd hardly been victimized by Bella, if anything he'd been the instigator.

As soon as he found the opportunity, Jacob intended to have a little chat with Kyle and Lucas about their mates' behavior. There were no secrets within the pack, but his history with Bella was not open to public scrutiny. That would be the last time any of them used it to publicly shame her.

Jacob had trouble reconciling the new Bella and her ever shifting moods. One minute she was calm and the next, she was snapping at Liz for almost giving away her secret. Jacob was relieved to discover that, outside Emily, it appeared that none of the other wolf girls knew about the cancer.

"Did you see that?" Embry inclined his head the Bella's direction, his expression one of fascination. "It's almost like Bella's her Alpha female."

Embry was referring to the way Liz instinctually deferred to Bella. One word, a hard stare and Liz instantly shut her mouth and averted her gaze. It was amazing to watch. Dominant personalities didn't exclusively belong to werewolves, though it was something Jacob seldom came across in humans. And if Bella was the Alpha female of her little group, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Taylor was her Alpha.

Embry continued to speak but Jacob didn't catch his next words. His attention was solely focused on Carmen. The cruel twist of her mouth when she learned that Bella had dropped out of college disturbed him. He'd never known her to take pleasure in someone else's pain. Though for the past few days he'd been introduced to some newer traits that he'd never seen before. Traits he wasn't necessarily certain he liked.

The wind shifted and Jacob got another whiff of Bella's chemically altered scent. Strangely enough, there was also a hint of Taylor's scent mixed in with hers, as though they were blended together.

"God, why the hell does she smell like that?" Quil complained in exasperation, his nose twitching.

"She smells fine!" Embry's sudden flare of anger made them all leery.

"What's your problem?" Quil lifted a questioning eyebrow at Embry's uncharacteristic outburst. Between the both of them, Embry had always been the mellow, sensible one.

"Nothing." Embry turned away, his jaw tight with anger.

"We're all pack brothers here, guys." Sam cautioned lightly.

Jared joined them with JJ firmly tucked under his arm. "What's going on?"

Wanting to know why himself, Jacob felt his suspicions heightened. Did Embry know about Bella being sick? Now that Jacob thought about it, Embry _had_ been acting strange ever since he ran into Bella. Or was it something else? Jacob recalled the way Embry smiled at Bella, and wondered if he had feelings for her. He quickly dismissed those thoughts as they occurred. His pack brother would never betray him that way. Still the wolf urged him to keep an eye on Embry. Something didn't feel right.

"Heads up." Sam alerted them to the worsening situation between Carmen and Bella.

Though Bella layered her words carefully, they were a threat and he knew Carmen well enough to know that she didn't like to be challenged. Whether or not she knew it, Bella was butting heads with the pack's Alpha female. Carmen's territorial possessiveness was part of that package. If Carmen thought Bella was encroaching on her territory, she would instinctively go after Bella with everything she had.

Carmen gazed at her with a piercing intensity that declared her refusal to back down. Bella's gaze was potent as Jacob sensed a wild, destructive power inside her. If one of them didn't look away soon, someone would get hurt.

Their staring match ended when Ryan and Lucas trotted over with their ridiculous bet. Ryan bet Lucas fifty bucks that he could create a winning team out of any group. They wanted the girls to be their players while they coached.

With eyes firmly locked in an unspoken challenge, Carmen and Bella quickly agreed. Jacob groaned out loud when his sister threw an arm around Bella's shoulder, proudly proclaiming that she was definitely on _Team Bella_. Kim followed Rachel's lead with Mel and Tess pledging their allegiance to Carmen's team.

"This isn't good, Jake." Sam said, his expression grave with seriousness.

"He's right. They're _literally_ beginning to take sides." Paul watched as Rachel and Kim gathered around Bella and her friends in a show of solidarity.

Jacob acknowledged their comments with a curt nod, his jaw becoming rigid. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. Rachel and the others were supposed to pull together, not rally around Bella. If this continued, it could destroy the pack.

As the two teams were preparing to head out, Taylor returned from his swim. When Bella told him about her intent to play football, he grabbed her hand and led her away to protest.

"Football? There are days when you can't find the energy to get out of bed and you want to play football?" Taylor grasped her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

Bella made sure to keep her voice low. "It'll be fun. Besides, I'm having a _good day_."

Around Jacob, the rambunctious pups began to place bets on the team of their choice. Those who could afford to bet with money did so, while the others that didn't, bet chores and patrol schedules.

"You know as well as I do that your good day could turn bad just like that." He snapped his fingers in emphasis.

"Relax. It's just touch football. I'll be fine."

Despite Bella's assurances Taylor still looked troubled. "Promise me you'll stop the second you start to feel faint."

"Okay." She agreed a little too quickly for his liking.

"Isabella." Taylor narrowed his eyes.

Taylor's anxiety was infectious. Now Jacob too found himself reluctantly worrying about her. Just how sick was she? At the risk of making himself look like a jerk, he seriously thought about calling off the game until Bella spoke again with raw pain in her voice.

"I need to feel human again, Taylor."

Genuine fear flashed across Taylor's features before it was gone, replaced by something akin to sorrow. Jacob wasn't the least bit surprised when he caved to her request. With his blessing, she ran off to join her team.

Sam noticed Taylor and Emily sitting alone and immediately went to join them. Bundling Emily closer to his body, Sam's glower went largely unnoticed by Taylor, whose eyes were solely focused on Bella. Bewildered by her husband's possessiveness, Emily rolled her eyes. She didn't know what he thought would happen between her and Taylor, in full view of Bella and the pack. He wasn't even sitting on the same blanket.

Bella's team met in a huddle, though she held up a hand, stopping Ryan as he began to discuss their strategy. With a pointed glance toward the pack, Bella suggested moving further away to avoid being overheard.

"Using the ocean's waves as a cover. Clever girl." Jared grinned, holding a squirming JJ on his lap.

"Looks like Lucas is gonna have to actually do some coaching if he wants to win this thing." Embry smirked, observing Lucas' frown as Bella's team moved out of earshot. He'd been hoping to utilize his enhanced hearing to gain an advantage over Ryan.

In the corner of his eye, Jacob spied a young wolf, Tommy, slipping away into the forest behind them. The wolf intended to phase so the other wolves on patrol could watch the game.

After twenty minutes of game play, Michael commented, "This doesn't look like touch football."

"That's because it's not." Jared grimaced when Kim took an elbow to the chest, courtesy of Mel.

"It's more like a beat down." Quil chimed in unhelpfully, ignoring Jacob's black scowl. He was too busy having the time of his life.

On the other hand, Jacob found nothing about the beaten and bruised women in front of him amusing. The women were using game as an opportunity to settle some old scores. Bella and Carmen alarmed him the most as they appeared to be feeding off each others' ferocity. Twice already, they had to be separated after Bella got in Carmen's face over a nasty tackle and a not-so-accidental blow to the shoulder.

Bella's cheeks were flushed with exertion and anger as she stormed off with her teammates trailing after her.

"Please let me get that bitch, Izzy," Liz pleaded when she caught up to her.

"Don't bother. She's not worth it." Bella wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. "Winning is the best revenge."

"You sure you're up to it? That last hit you took looked kind of rough." Rachel teased, delivering a playful nudge with her hip.

Amused, Bella gestured to the nasty bruise on Rachel's leg. "You're one to talk."

There was an easy camaraderie between the two women that clearly never existed with Carmen. Jacob knew he was not the only wolf to notice that.

Angela managed to complete the pass, delivering the ball to Bella, before Tess tackled her to the ground.

Though Bella was fast, Carmen was faster. They all winced when she slammed into Bella and took her down hard. Carmen slid off her back onto the sand, and Bella pulled herself up on her hands and knees. Carmen climbed on one knee and leaned in close to Bella's ear. Her lips moved but none of the wolves were able to hear her words.

Judging by the bewildered fury on Bella's face, it hadn't been good.

Placing a hand on Bella's back, Carmen stood but on the way up her knee caught Bella in the ribs. The blow knocked the wind out of Bella and her upper body dropped to her forearms. Carmen sauntered back to her team, looking pleased with herself.

"That Carmen's a vicious little thing, isn't she? But hey, can't say that I blame her." Quil said with a callous shrug.

"Why do you hate her so much?" Michael dared to ask him. The young group of wolves around him shivered, their eyes immediately lowering to the ground.

Quil's smile faded as angry lines bracketed his mouth. "What's it to you?"

"Maybe you should lay off." Michael raised his chin defiantly. Kyle began to nudge him, covertly pleading with him to drop his eyes too. Fear wafted off Michael as he yanked his arm away, boldly meeting Quil's gaze.

"Knock it off." Jacob growled low in his throat, without removing his eyes from Bella whose fists were curled in the sand.

Bella's face went pale with pain as she rose on unsteady feet, and gingerly shook the sand from her clothes. Her ribs had to be killing her, but she managed–just barely–to keep her hand from cradling them. She waved at Taylor, who was already on his feet, to show she was all right. The wolf understood and approved of her reluctance to show weakness.

"Hey, you okay?" Ryan joined Bella as she made her way back to Rachel and the others.

"Just a scratch." Bella brushed off his concern.

"Maybe we should forfeit. I'm not about to risk your health over fifty bucks and bragging rights." Ryan said, eying the way she tried not to limp.

His comment earned him a reproachful look. "Don't you dare forfeit. We are going to settle this, one way or another."

Ryan gave her a curt nod, though his objection was as plain as day. She was clearly exhausted, but also as stubborn as a mule.

Bella hooked an arm around Liz's waist and yanked her close. Liz's hands went to Bella's shoulders. Bella's lips went to her ear. Two words from Bella resulted in a dangerous smile that made the hair on the back of Jacob's neck stand on end.

_Get her._

"And Liz?" With a hand on her arm, Bella stopped Liz when she started to move away. "Make it hurt."

The menacing delivery of Bella's words made his wolf bare its teeth in a feral grin, admiring the steel in her spine. Carmen's expression hardened with the near homicidal look Liz gave her.

The game was tied. Win or lose, this would be the final play of the day.

Kim threw the ball to Bella and she took off, sprinting down the beach. To Jacob's eyes, Bella appeared to be slowing down as fatigue began to take hold. It didn't take long for Carmen to be on her tail again.

Big mistake.

Like a conjured demon, Liz materialized as if out of nowhere, and Carmen became the one being chased. A series of commiserating groans and cringes went through the pack at the jarring sound Liz's body made when it crashed into Carmen's. Liz landed with both knees buried in Carmen's back.

"_Damn!_" Michael attempted–not very well–to hide his smirk from Jacob. "Now _that_ was a hit!"

With Carmen down, the field was wide open for Bella to score a touchdown, and win the game for her team. It was difficult for Jacob not to smile when Bella and her team did chest bumps and victory dances. Bella's laugh was a mixture of snorts and giggles when Ryan tossed her over his shoulder, hollering at the top of his lungs like a maniac.

"Boy that guy really loves his football," Embry observed Ryan's exuberance with raised eyebrows.

Now that the game was over, Jacob and his wolf could finally allow themselves to relax. Feeling the tension leave his body, he sighed. However, his unease slowly crept back when he saw the look of burning hatred in Carmen's eyes as she glared at Bella. She didn't like losing but losing to Bella was even worse.

Ryan set Bella down and she blew Taylor a kiss, who gifted her with a smile. Twisting away, her gaze landed on Carmen. She angled her head slightly to one side, with a sardonic smile touching the corner of her lips.

And just to pour salt in Carmen's wounds, Bella broke into a rendition of _We Are The Champions_ and her team joined in.

"Just great. I'm gonna have to hear about this all night long." Kyle complained, watching as Tess grumbled under her breath.

"Sucks to be you." Paul's lack of sensitivity never failed to disappoint. Hoping to capitalize on Rachel's good mood, he went over to her and kissed her soundly.

JJ wiggled out of Jared's arms and threw himself at Kim, covering her face with congratulatory kisses.

Ryan tossed Bella a towel as she stood talking with Liz and Angela.

Two things happened at once and then it was as if time slowed. The towel in Bella's hands slipped from her grasp. She bent over to retrieve it just as Carmen walked by. A slight nudge from Carmen's hip was all it took to sent Bella's prone form hurtling toward the ground.

A loud crack resonated as Bella's head connected with a rock. Her body went deathly still as her heart stopped beating.

* * *

**A/N: **The shit's about to hit the fan!

Hope the long chapter makes up for the delay.

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	6. Orange Jumpsuit Fantasy

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

* * *

Chapter 6

For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still until Liz screamed, breaking them out of their trance. Then all hell broke loose as everyone rushed toward Bella.

Jacob had almost reached her, when an invisible force knocked him backward, causing him to falter. That brief stumble was what allowed Taylor to reach her side before he did.

"Be careful. Watch her head," Carmen's coworker, Jenna warned as Taylor and Jacob–one gripping her head, the other her shoulders–gently rolled Bella onto her back.

The red bruise on her forehead wasn't bleeding, but Bella still remained unconscious.

"Isabella? Talk to me," Taylor pleaded, panicking when he couldn't find a pulse.

Jacob's eyes were fixed on Bella's face, willing her to breathe as Taylor began to perform chest compressions. In the background he heard Jenna on the phone with 911 and grasped Bella's limp hand. He knew he should have been doing something more to help her, but he couldn't focus. Could barely breathe himself. It felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest. All around him, the concerned, frenzied voices didn't quite reach him. With the dazed state Jacob was in, his attempt at CPR would result in her having a cracked chest plate.

In the midst of it all, he felt an emotion he'd never allowed himself to feel since the day Bella walked out of his life, helplessness.

"Come on. Don't do this to me," Taylor murmured desperately under his breath as precious seconds ticked by with no response from Bella. He brought his mouth to hers and forced air into her lungs.

After what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly coughed and gasped for breath, her heart beginning to beat again.

Relief hit Jacob hard, easing the odd tightness in his chest. He could hear her heart beat, see the steady rise and fall of her chest. The weight on his chest lifted, allowing him to breathe and think clearly again.

Taylor leaned over and cradled her cheek, his fingers gliding over her flesh in a way that made Jacob's skin crawl in quiet disgust. "Look at me, Isabella. Open your eyes."

A tiny line formed between her eyebrows as she groaned softly. Her eyelids fluttered open with a wince and Jacob felt her fingers flex inside his hand. She blinked a few times to clear her vision. Apprehension flittered across Bella's face when she noticed the crowd that had gathered around her.

"Okay, everybody. Back up and give her some air," Jacob told the people standing around them. When no one moved, he glanced up sharply and they all took a couple of steps back.

Jacob's voice immediately drew Bella's gaze, her apprehension quickly turned into confusion. Her fingers flexed in his grasp again, her confusion deepening when she realized that he was holding her hand. She switched her attention back to Taylor, whose jaw was clenched in anger as his eyes focused on their linked hands. Jacob didn't miss the slight curl of his upper lip and the muscle ticking in his jaw.

Taylor's dark expression softened a fraction, when Bella's lips parted as she made an attempt at speech. She finally succeeded after a few tries.

"Did I have another seizure?" She asked fearfully, her voice just above a whisper.

A hardness transformed Taylor's face then. "No, you… had an accident."

"Accident my ass," Liz snarled as she stood with violence on her mind. "Come here, bitch."

Ryan caught Liz mid-lunge before she was able to make contact with Carmen, who'd been taken by surprise.

Acting on pure instinct, Jacob immediately rose and protectively pulled Carmen behind his body. Ryan's bear grip tightened, holding firm as Liz cursed and struggled to reach Carmen. Was it Jacob's imagination or were Liz's teeth a little longer than before?

"Let me kick her ass, Ryan! She pushed Izzy! You saw it too!" Liz bucked in Ryan's hold but he was able to hold firm.

Jacob found it strange that Ryan appeared to be having trouble holding on to Liz. Given their obvious differences in the size and strength, a guy of Ryan's built shouldn't have had any trouble restraining Liz. And yet his muscles strained under the seemingly strenuous effort it took to keep her under control.

At Liz's words, shocked murmurs went through the pack; their questioning gazes were immediately drawn to Carmen. A slight tremor shook the hand she laid on his arm and Jacob caught the faint scent of fear. She was afraid and had every damn right to be.

Fury sparked in Liz's eyes, her lips peeled away from her teeth in a silent growl.

Ryan's eyes widened in alarm. He gave Liz a hard shake, lowered his lips to her ear and frantically whispered, "Damn it, Liz. You can't do this here. We're on a public beach."

His words must have gotten through to her because she immediately froze in his arms. For the first time, she noticed the people watching their unfolding scene with interest. She managed to quell the burning rage in her eyes, though just barely.

Taylor suddenly rose with Bella cradled in his arms.

"Wait a minute. Where are you taking her? The ambulance is on its way." Jenna confronted Taylor when he tried to leave with Bella.

"I'm not waiting for an ambulance. She needs medical attention right now."

A pained sound left Bella when Taylor shifted her weight. Her lips were pressed into a thin line; her eyes squeezed shut, head resting against his chest. Taylor's features tightened, concern knitting his brow as he gazed down at her face.

"You don't understand. She was unconscious, moving her could make her injury worse," Jenna warned, her experience as a registered nurse shining through. Lines of worry were etched into her face as she cast anxious looks between Taylor and the woman he carried in his arms.

Taylor had endangered Bella's health by moving her.

That was all Jacob and the wolf needed to hear. He left Carmen's side, scowling darkly as Taylor stepped around Jenna.

"You heard what Jenna said. Put her down." Jacob moved into his path, effectively blocking him when he tried to leave.

"Get out of my way." Taylor's face hardened with determination, his grip on Bella tightening protectively.

"Put her down." Jacob stepped closer with the wolf in his gaze, ready to back him up at a moment's notice. Bella's body was the only thing, stopping them from being nose to nose. The wolf urged him to forcibly take Bella from Taylor if he had to.

"Move or I will move you." Taylor eyes glittered savagely, his dangerously low voice immediately put Jacob on guard.

The wolf bared its fangs in a vicious snarl. That was big talk for a human. Obviously, Taylor had no idea who he was dealing with. Jacob almost snorted, but then sobered when the wolf counseled him against underestimating the man in front of them. Again, wolf instinct whispered that something wasn't right.

"Stop," Bella suddenly spoke, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Jacob froze, surprised when Bella laid her cool palm on his bare chest. "I… I want to go to the hospital."

Deep inside, Jacob knew she didn't really want that, but she'd go if it kept them from fighting. Jacob kept himself in check, against the wolf who desire nothing more than to rub itself against her hand.

With a shaky breath, she withdrew her hand from his heated skin and grasped weakly at Taylor's shoulder. "Please, Taylor."

Bella's whispered plea sent shards of shame into Jacob's heart. He'd allowed himself to get distracted by his wolf's desire to break Taylor, to show him and the pack who was the most dominant of the two. He observed the way Bella's eyes remained shut, the stiffness of her muscles, and the unsteady beat of her heart. Her pink lips were pinched tightly together in an attempt to hold her groans of agony at bay.

She was in pain.

That realization was enough to penetrate the wolf's–and his–macho posturing. She was hurt and he was the one preventing her from getting the help she needed. Even though wolf instinct demanded that he not let her out of his sight, Taylor was right. Bella needed immediate attention. Jacob had no way of knowing how much her cancer treatments had weakened her health. Standing there arguing with Taylor was a waste of precious time.

Jacob gritted his teeth, furious he'd allowed his wolf's desires to manipulate him yet again. He forced his stiff limbs to propel his uncompliant body from Taylor's path, and allowed them to pass.

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine, I'm here," Taylor soothed Bella as he hurried away with Angela rushing after them.

It took every ounce of strength he possessed to stay where he was, and ignore the wolf's savage howling as it battered against his will in protest. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he shut his eyes, trying to calm the fast hammering of his heart. Still feeling the soft imprint of Bella's hand on his chest, Jacob was thrown off guard by the wolf's growing possessiveness toward her.

Just then Ryan's curse drew Jacob's attention when he saw that Liz no longer at his side.

Jacob's head whipped around upon realizing his error. In his haste to prevent Taylor from leaving with Bella, he'd left Carmen unprotected. Liz had taken advantage of their distraction to slip away completely unnoticed until she was standing directly in front of Carmen.

To her credit, Carmen managed to retain her cool and mask how unnerved she was by Liz's proximity. However, a shift of the wind brought a hint of her fear with it.

The eerie stillness in Liz's frame, coupled with the coldness in her gaze was enough to set off the warning bells in Jacob's head. There was something decidedly disturbing in the air, but Jacob couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Don't do it, Liz," Ryan warned, deliberately edging toward them as if afraid to make any sudden movements.

Jacob too was cautious in his approach, unwilling to risk startling Liz. He didn't know what Liz intended to do, but his gut told him she would do a hell of a lot more than slap Carmen. Despite what she'd done, the instinct to protect Carmen from harm was still there.

"You better hope she's okay. Because if she isn't and I have to come back here..." Liz leaned in until her face was just a breath away from Carmen's. "Things will not go well for you." The quiet rage in her words sliced through the tense silence.

Liz finally looked away when Ryan cautiously began to reach for her. His hand froze midair when her green eyes went hard, and a flash of irritation darted across her face. She blinked and her expression softened. That was just the encouragement Ryan needed as his hand gently encircled her wrist.

Jacob observed the tender firmness behind his grip. Ryan's wary approach was that of a man dealing with a dangerous animal as he proceeded to steer her away from Carmen and the pack.

"Call me if you need to talk," Haley offered Carmen a tentative smile.

Based on the look of complete and utter disappointment Jenna gave Carmen before she packed up her stuff and left with Haley, it was safe to assume that Carmen might've just lost a friend.

Jacob's hard gaze fell on Carmen and a tremor shook her, knowing she was in deep shit.

* * *

"You stupid bitch."

Rachel laid into Carmen as soon as she was out of the car.

Under the watchful eyes of the people on the beach, Jacob ordered everyone to gather their things and return to Sam's house. He would not allow any outsiders to witness the argument he sensed brewing amongst his pack. Though Jacob would've preferred to deal with Carmen alone, this was a pack issue. There were no secrets within the pack. Carmen owed them all an explanation.

Jacob knew Carmen had been upset about Bella coming back, but he'd underestimated how truly threatened she was. To push Bella, to actually try and hurt her? He didn't know what to think.

"Did you really think you'd get away with it?" Kim asked furiously, shifting JJ from one hip to the other.

"Bella was conscious and talking when they left. That's a good sign. I'm sure she's fine." Carmen was grasping at straws and they both knew it. "How bad can a small bump on the head be?"

Upon hearing this, the tenuous thread holding Jacob's temper snapped. "Bella's recovering from cancer. She is not fine!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Carmen's face paled with shock, eyes widening and then everyone start speaking at once.

"What?"

"–Cancer?"

"What do you mean–?"

"Bella was sick?"

With him being bombarded with questions by the pack, Jacob struggled to understand what was being said.

Still, one comment managed to break thtrough the chaos of overlapping voices.

"I can't believe Bella was right. You knew she was sick and kept it to yourself?" Embry gave him a look that could only be described as shocked disbelief.

Jacob's head snapped up, his sharp stare spearing Embry who took a halting step backward. Jacob's pupils had dilated, the wolf heavy in his gaze. A shadow of fear flickered across Embry's face, his eyes tracking the feral changes in the Alpha's posture.

"_Explain now,_" Jacob demanded through gritted teeth, his sharp tone sliced through the voices, and put an immediate end to all the questions. He didn't want to think about what he would do if Embry had to be added to the list of people that kept Bella's illness from him. If Bella had chosen to confide in Embry instead of him…

Sensing danger in the flames of the Alpha's rage, Embry lowered his eyes to the ground. "I figured it out when I ran into Bella the other day."

"What do you mean _figured it out_?" Jacob's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

An annoyed look. "My mom died from pancreatic cancer, Jake. I know what chemo smells like."

Jacob growled low in his throat when Embry met his eyes and he immediately dropped his gaze again. His friend wasn't out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot.

"I asked her who else knew and she said Sue, Charlie, Billy and… you." Embry swallowed thickly before continuing, "I didn't want to believe it but Bella was so sure–"

Embry stopped upon witnessing the stunned confusion on Jacob's face.

"You didn't know?"

Frowning, Jacob answered with a distracted shake of his head.

"Then how…"

There was a noticeable gruffness in Jacob's next words. "I overheard her and Taylor talking about it the night of Michael's party."

Jacob's mind flashed back to the angry words Bella had hurled at him that night. He hadn't understood when she'd accused him of being disappointed that she was alive. Her rambling on about him only caring about his perfect life with his perfect imprint.

_Go back to pretending I'm dead._

Then all the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. The hatred in Bella's eyes each time she looked at him, and the reason behind those disappointed looks Charlie kept giving him. Jacob and Embry arrived at the same conclusion.

"Bella thinks you knew, man. She thinks you've always known about her cancer."

"Why would she think that?" Jacob suddenly felt ill. Did Bella try to reach out to him? He didn't understand. Just how the fuck was he supposed to know that she had cancer?

"She didn't say." Embry's brows were drawn together in confusion as he pondered the same thing.

"You knew, Emily? Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked, drawing Jacob from his thoughts.

Sam was upset to learn that his wife could keep a big secret like that from him. How long had she been talking to Bella, and lying to his face about it?

"Why didn't I tell you?" Emily asked, incredulous at his audacity. "You were too preoccupied with Leah to notice that I've been scared out of my mind for _months_."

"Emily–" Sam began weakly as she stalked off, only to be rendered speechless when she spun around with unshed tears in her eyes.

"Do me a favor, Uley. _Don't_ follow me." Emily abruptly spun on her heel and waddled across the yard to seek refuge in their house.

Sam stared at her retreating figure, racked by feelings of guilt and shame. Emily was right. Sam had been so busy living in the past that he'd failed to examine any other reasons behind Emily's mood swings. He'd just chalked it up to pregnancy hormones and left it at that. She'd been worried and upset about Bella being sick and… he hadn't noticed. He'd neglected his imprint for months and he hadn't even realized he was doing it. He'd been a fool to think that Emily wouldn't notice his distraction and guess that Leah had been its cause. Was it any wonder Bella had gotten on his case about it the other night?

"I'll take care of her," Kim's words were curt as she went after Emily, taking JJ inside with her.

"I didn't know she was sick, Jake. I swear." Carmen promised.

"Would it have made any difference if you did?" Jacob voiced the question they were all asking themselves.

"Come on, Jake. You _know_ me."

"Do I, Carmen? Because for the past few days I haven't been able to recognize you at all. I've never seen you be so ruthless with anyone before."

No matter what he did, he could not get the image of Bella's fragile, unconscious body out of his mind. And to know that she was on her way to the hospital because of the stunt Carmen pulled… Bella could've been killed. Jacob never would've thought that Carmen was capable of hurting someone. Could he have been wrong about her?

Rachel snorted, eyes wandering up and down Carmen's frame in disgust. "Hate to break it to you, Jake, but she's always been that way."

Carmen rounded on Rachel with cutting anger in her eyes. "You're just loving this, aren't you?"

"Loving this?" Rachel fixed her with a withering glare. "The only thing I'm feeling right now is shame. Shame that our so-called _leader_ could do something so disgusting, so underhanded. You'll be lucky if Bella doesn't throw your ass in jail."

"That's enough, Rachel!" Jacob snapped, unable to put aside his compulsion to defend Carmen. A glance at the faces of his wolves confirmed that at least half of them were nodding in agreement with Rachel. The other wolves were more reserved, choosing instead to withhold judgment until they heard Carmen's side of the story.

"Explain it to me, Carmen, because I really want to know. Why on earth would you do something like that?"

"I'll tell you what she was thinking." Rachel sidestepped Paul, roughly jerking her hand out of his grasp when he attempted to restrain her. "The only thought on her mind was about getting rid of the competition."

"No!" Denial tore from Carmen's mouth as she spun back to Jacob, her head shaking desperately.

"Then what happened?" The tentative question came from Tess, who was more than a little disturbed by what Carmen had done.

With a frustrated sigh, Carmen pushed tangled strands of dark hair away from her face. "I don't know how to explain it. Being around Bella just made me so crazy and before I knew what happened, she was on the ground and–" She broke off, her eyes wide with genuine remorse. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

Startled, Sam's eyes cut to Jacob's as the council's warning echoed in his mind. He'd been the only other wolf at the last meeting, when the council had cautioned Jacob to keep a watchful eye on Carmen and Bella. Jacob's past ties to Bella had compromised the mating bond he shared with Carmen, and the elders were afraid. Nothing like this had ever happened before. None of them knew what this meant for the future of the pack.

Sam thought back to the football match and the strange way they'd fed off each other's aggression. At times, circling each other like rival cats. It was true that Carmen attacked Bella in the end, but only after Bella–unable to do it herself–set Liz loose on her. Never would Sam have guessed that Bella would grow into a dominant personality. From what had transpired today, the council elders had been right to express their concerns. As soon as word of what happened on the beach reached the elders, he and Jacob would be summoned into another meeting to discuss how they planned to _manage_ the situation.

"I never meant to hurt her, Jake. Please say that you believe me." Carmen's eyes silently begged Jacob to believe in her again. Trust her again.

"Come on, Jake. Don't tell me you're actually buying this act." Rachel wanted to rip her hair out in frustration, watching her brother's iron resolve waver. "This is all happening for a reason, Jake. Bella coming back changed everything. You don't have to continue to settle for less than you deserve."

"Give me a chance to make things right." Carmen pleaded, hot tears brimming in her eyes.

All eyes were on the couple as the pack waited for the Alpha's response. An agonizing silence hung in the air.

Rachel was wrong. Nothing had changed with Bella's return. She'd chosen to walk away and although she'd come back, it was clear she didn't come back for him. They'd both moved on and were completely different from the people they used to be. Taking care of her was someone else's job. A job that Taylor guarded jealously.

Four years. Jacob and Carmen had been through a lot together. She'd helped him move on from Bella and find some small measure of peace. Though he was still disgusted and furious with her for what she'd done, he couldn't turn his back on her. Loving her had become second nature to him. Their mating bond was still too strong for him to even contemplate leaving her. Jacob felt he owed Carmen another chance, considering she had been there for him when Bella wasn't. Contrary to what his sister thought, Jacob wasn't settling, he was playing the hand he'd been dealt.

He didn't have to say it.

They all knew what his decision was the moment Carmen began to sob with relief.

"Unbelievable–" Rachel snapped her mouth shut when she was hit by the sheer power behind the Alpha's gaze. She stormed into the house, slamming the door hard behind her to express her abhorrence at the choice he'd made.

That same power was in his eyes when Jacob scanned the faces of each pack member, searching for any signs of dissidence.

He found none.

None of them would dare say a bad word against Carmen.

Jacob wrapped Carmen in his arms and–to his quiet horror–felt his wolf recoil from her.

He might have been able to forgive Carmen, but his wolf hadn't.

* * *

Carmen pushed her.

Bella couldn't believe it.

During the frantic drive to the emergency room, Liz was very descriptive about all the ways she would sink her claws and fangs into Carmen if anything happened to Bella. Mindful of her pain, Taylor had kept his voice low as he repeatedly assured Bella that she would be all right, while Angela held her hand in silent support. They all knew how nervous hospitals made her.

In the emergency room, they were met by a kind eyed male doctor with graying hair, who'd been expecting them. Apparently Jenna had called ahead. After Dr. Grant performed a series of neurological exams, he determined that Bella had sustained a mild concussion. Though aside from that, he'd been particularly concerned about her loss of consciousness, and the impact the blow might've had on the part of her skull that had been weakened by her previous brain surgery.

When the doctor recommended a MRI scan to rule out bleeding or swelling in her brain, Bella wanted to scream, _No! she was supposed to have two more months!_

Bella had been dreading the follow-up exams she would be forced to endure in order to find out if the cancer had returned. She'd been counting on those months to rebuild the courage to step foot inside another hospital, where she would cease to be a person, becoming a patient once more. Those months had been taken from her now, much like everything else in her life had been.

She was being forced to deal with more tests, and all because Carmen fucking pushed her.

Even though the hospital was the last place Bella wanted to be, she couldn't refuse. Her friends were worried sick, and Taylor was scared. Instead, she bit her tongue hard enough to taste blood, and offered a compliant nod, all the while feeling white hot anger coursing through her body like lava. To provide Taylor and her friends with a peace of mind, she agreed to the scan.

Despite her disorientation and splitting headache, Dr. Grant claimed she'd been lucky. Aside from what appeared to be residual scar tissue left by the brain surgery, there was no sign of any further damage to her brain. Given her past medical history, the doctor wanted to keep her under observation for a couple of days, but she managed to negotiate her way down to one overnight stay with strict orders to get lots of rest at home. Taylor assured him she would rest even if he had to place her under house arrest.

As Taylor drew the doctor aside to ask him a few more questions, Bella laid her head on the pillow and tried to relax. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept coming back to the football match.

The teeth rattling tackles and snide remarks, Bella had taken it all in stride and even managed to dish out a few hits of her own. Carmen brought out a hostility in her that she never knew existed. She should've walked away and let Ryan forfeit the match, but something inside had refused to let Carmen win.

Four cruel words, followed by a knee to the ribs was the final straw.

_He never loved you._

Those were the words Carmen whispered in Bella's ear before delivering a blow that knocked the air from her lungs. Bella had been doing well up until that point.

Up until that point she'd believed in being the bigger person and rising above and not stooping to Carmen's level. But Jacob's imprint had gone too far with those words. Jacob and Carmen were together now. What could Carmen possibly hope to gain by saying something so cruel and upsetting to her? Bella was deeply disturbed by the fact that out of everything Carmen had done to her, saying Jacob never loved her had been the one thing to push her over the edge.

Liz kept urging her to press assault charges against Carmen, promising that Jacob's imprint would get the chair after her testimony. There was only one obstacle standing in the way of her orange jumpsuit fantasy; Jacob.

As much as Bella wanted to hate him, she couldn't hurt him by sending his soul mate to jail. He probably would not be able to survive the trauma of being separated from his imprint. When all was said and done, Bella remained convinced that Carmen had only meant to humiliate, not kill her. For the memory of what Jacob and Bella used to mean to each other, Bella felt she owed him that much.

None of her friends understood the reasons behind her refusal to press charges, even making them promise not to tell Charlie. Deep inside, Bella was deeply ashamed by the surprising amount of hurt she felt after Carmen's vengeful taunt. After his response or lack of response to her letter, Jacob Black should've meant nothing to her. Why then did she still feel the need to tear Carmen's hair out?

After Ryan and Liz left to drive Angela back to her parent's house, Taylor pulled a chair close to her bed and sat down. Gaze tender, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"I don't know what I would've done…" In Taylor's eyes, Bella saw fear lurking there. The accident had unearthed recent memories of another time Bella had laid lifeless and unmoving.

"You don't have to worry. I'm all right now." Bella smiled, trying to put his mind as rest. She stroked his cheek, and observed the way he leaned into her touch.

Taylor sat back in his chair, the masculine lines of his face became touched with darkness. "If Jacob hadn't gotten out of our way, I swear, I would've torn him apart."

The quiet fury behind his words chilled her to the bone. Even in his weakened state, Taylor was still powerful. The question of whether or not he was strong enough to defeat Jacob Black was not a question Bella wanted answered.

Bella recalled the way Jacob tried to stop them from leaving. If she didn't know any better, Bella would've thought he still gave a shit about her. The word surprised wasn't enough to cover the way she'd felt when she opened her eyes to find her hand enfolded in the warmth of his. Why-when he'd made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her-would he do that?

"I should've listened to my gut. I _knew_ it wasn't safe for you to play football. Carlisle trusted me to look out for you and look at what happened." Taylor gestured toward the hospital bed.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Taylor. How were you supposed to know Carmen would do something like that?"

Taylor went on talking as if he hadn't heard her. "Don't worry. I won't make the same mistake again."

Anger boiled inside Bella, as she came to understand the effect Carmen's little prank had had on Taylor. Whatever progress she'd made was loss the second she almost cracked her head open on a rock. Taylor had reverted back to being overly protective and painstakingly cautious. Problem was, Bella didn't need a caretaker, she wanted the deeply emotional man she'd fallen in love with. And more than anything, Bella wanted to be the girl who belonged with that guy.

Before Bella had the chance to have another _I'm not an invalid conversation_ with him again, Taylor climbed into the bed with her and insisted she rest. With the drugs she'd been given for the pain, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open, much less put up a fight. Placing her head on his solid chest, Bella drifted off to sleep with the steady rhythm of his heart pounding in her ear.

* * *

After a fairly uneventful night, Bella was discharged from the hospital with strict orders to take it easy and continue taking her anti-seizure medication. Her body felt banged up, the contusion on her forehead was still tender to the touch, and yet she was overjoyed just to be leaving the hospital.

They were supposed to move into their new home today, and Bella would not let anything stop that from happening.

Her friends had the oddest expression on their faces when they came to pick her up. Zach was noticeably missing from the group. He hadn't visited her at the hospital, despite calling to check up on her.

"What's going on?" Bella asked Liz while they were walking to the car.

Ryan and Taylor traded glances and then Liz answered, "Nothing."

Bella lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. "Oh, _that's_ believable."

"Everybody knows," Ryan confessed after a long drawn-out sigh.

"What do you mean?" Bella froze with her hand on the door handle.

"After we left for the hospital, it somehow got out. Now they all know about the cancer."

A cold draft washed over Bella. "What… How?"

Did Emily or Embry tell them?

Liz shrugged before getting in the car and Ryan offered Bella a vaguely apologetic smile.

Bella felt the strength go out of her. Her shoulders dropped as fatigue settled over her like a blanket. She'd wanted to be the one to tell people about her illness, in her own time. When she was ready. Why couldn't she have that? Why couldn't things go her way for once? She felt naked and exposed in the worst possible way, and it was a terrible feeling.

If it wasn't for Carmen, none of this would be happening.

They drove away from the hospital in heavy silence.

"It gets worse." Liz turned around in her seat to peer at Bella.

"Worse than this?" Bella asked bitterly.

"Leah found out."

"Damn." Bella closed her eyes for a moment. "How bad was it?"

"Pretty bad. She had a huge fight with Zach and didn't come home last night. They might break up over this, Izzy."

Zach hadn't wanted to keep the truth from Leah, but he'd agreed to do it because Bella had asked him to. Because she'd promised to explain everything to Leah herself. Bella could only hope she hadn't permanently damaged their relationship.

When they arrived at the house, the door was wide open and Zach was sitting on the stairs inside. Seeing the bleakness in his eyes confirmed Bella's worst fears. It felt as though they were walking in on the heels of an awful argument.

"What a relief. You didn't croak," Leah sarcastically greeted Bella from the kitchen as she walked through the door.

"Leah, I–"

Leah cut her off. "What?" She uncoiled herself from her seat, and stood, limbs tensing with restrained anger. "What explanation can you give for not telling me you were sick? What reason can you give me for _lying_ to my face?" Leah laughed, it was a hollow sound. "And out of all the people you could've confided in, you chose Emily." In other words, Bella chose Emily over her.

"I wanted to tell you, Leah, but I… couldn't." What Bella didn't say was that she hadn't been allowed to tell Leah. At first, she didn't tell Leah because she'd wanted privacy. Toward the end, when Bella had literally been on her deathbed, the Cullens–namely Alice–had forbade any communication with the wolves. Even going as far as lying to Bella's friends to get them to side with her. None of them knew the real reason why Alice hadn't wanted the wolves around.

Leah came toward her, eyes narrowed, expression unforgiving. "And what's worse, Zach lied to me too."

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this but if you want to get mad at someone, get mad at me. Zach only did it because I asked him to."

"One lying bastard was enough. I don't need another." Leah roughly brushed past her.

Zach's fists clenched around his suitcase handle in anger, remaining silent as Leah blew by.

"Damn it, Leah. Would you just listen–?"

Again Leah interrupted her. "Oh and you can find yourself another business partner while you're at it."

"What?!"

"I don't go into business with liars." Leah's lip curled in a sneer, and stormed out the front door. "Be gone by the time I get back." She tossed over her shoulder before getting in her car and peeled out of the driveway.

Bella stared after Leah's departing car in disbelief.

This was a nightmare. Now she'd screwed things up for Leah and Zach, wrecked their friendship and her dreams of opening a cafe had gone up in flames.

"I'm sorry, Zach." Try as she might, Bella couldn't think of anything else to say to him.

Zach's head shot up, his face vivid with anger and unvoiced accusations.

"Don't apologize. Fix it." With that said, he snatched up a suitcase and went outside. Taylor and Zach went to the bedroom to gather their things.

Tears of frustration stung Bella's eyes, but she blinked them away. She wouldn't cry here, not today. Leah wore her rage like armor but beneath her harsh veneer and angry words, Bella saw the truth. Leah was hurt that Bella didn't confide in her. To Leah, it was as if Bella had picked Emily over her, just as Sam did.

How did things get so screwed up? Liz's heart went out to Bella when she sensed the despair rolling off her friend in waves.

"Don't worry, Izzy. I'm sure Leah didn't mean those things she said." Liz sounded as weary as Bella felt.

"I'm not so sure." Bella didn't know if Leah would ever forgive her.

Bella sat down on the porch steps, with feelings of emotional exhaustion weighing her down. She heard the approach of a vehicle in the distance, and raised her head– thinking/hoping that Leah had come back–to see a black pickup truck headed toward the house.

As far as Bella knew, Leah wasn't expecting any visitors. So imagine her surprise when the truck stopped, and Jacob and Carmen stepped out.

Carmen took a couple of hesitant steps forward, eyes darting nervously in Liz's direction. This was a different Carmen from the cool, confident one from yesterday who had taunted her. Bella remained baffled by the change, until she recalled Taylor telling her about how Liz almost exposed them on the beach when she tried to attack Carmen, who was still very much afraid of her.

"You have some nerve showing your face around here." Liz told her harshly.

"Carmen had something to say." Face stern, arms folded across his chest, Jacob stood behind Carmen like a parent whose child had to apologize for being naughty.

Carmen faced Bella, looking miserable, with one hand clutching the other at the elbow. "I'm sorry you got hurt, Bella. I did a stupid thing. I really didn't mean for it to go that far."

"No, you didn't." Bella maintained an even tone.

Bella was certain Carmen hadn't meant to put her in the hospital. That knowledge didn't prevent her thoughts from becoming infused with bitterness. Jacob's imprint had only meant to embarrass Bella by putting her in her place. Carmen had aimed to cut her down, and make her feel less than she already was. Carmen had it all; a soul mate, a great job, envy-inducing beauty and perfect health, but it still wasn't enough for her.

Bella forced herself to smile. It took a considerable amount of effort on her part to ignore the dangerous rage, churning away inside her. Of all the things that had been taken from her over the last year and a half–her dignity, her education, her future–she still had her body left. Although that body was now scared, balding and softer than before, Bella had fought hard to get it to where it was today. She would not allow anyone to get away with endangering her health. Whether Carmen meant every word of her apology or not mattered little. Bella had to make Carmen understand what kind of person she was dealing with. No one else would be allowed to take from her without consequences. An apology just was not going to cut it.

"I appreciate you coming here to apologize like this, Carmen. It's real big of you."

Bella favored Carmen with a seemingly genuine smile that put Jacob on edge. He regarded Bella warily as she left the stairs and approached Carmen. Her footsteps were slow, deliberate, her eyes were a bit too bright. Bella wore the same pleasant smile as she came to stand before Carmen who was a couple of inches taller than her.

"Let's say we bury the hatchet, huh?" Bella opened her arms in invitation and after a short delay Carmen embraced her hesitantly.

"Such pretty hair," Bella murmured softly before a dark shadow moved over her face.

Then the shadow disappeared, taking her smile with it.

The warning on Jacob's tongue came a fraction too late.

With cold, dead eyes, Bella grabbed a fistful of Carmen's hair and yanked hard. Carmen's head snapped back with almost enough force to damage her neck. A frightened scream was ripped from Carmen's throat when Bella forced her to her knees. That scream was abruptly cut off when Bella grabbed her throat.

"Let her go, Bella. Now!" Jacob growled.

He moved toward them only to stop dead in his tracks when Bella settled those cold, brown eyes on him.

Bella used the one threat in her arsenal guaranteed to make Jacob think twice about separating them. "Take one more step and I'll snap her neck."

Jacob's eyes widened a fraction at the naked hostility in her tone. If this were four years ago, Jacob would've called her bluff, knowing the old Bella would've backed down. But things had been different back then. He'd known Bella inside out, he didn't know jack-shit about her now. It was that uncertainty that kept him where he was.

Following a quick scan of the yard, Jacob noticed that both Taylor and Liz had taken a matching step–but toward _him_, not Bella. They were _protecting_ her.

He still remained torn between his instinctual need to protect Carmen, and the need to avoid getting into a fight with two bat shit crazy humans. However, it was a different story when it came to his wolf. Jacob was unnerved by his wolf's growing indifference toward Carmen. Far from being distressed by Carmen's fear, the wolf approved of Bella's actions.

Without moving his hard gaze from Jacob, Taylor called out, his voice layered with concern. "Isabella?"

"I'm still stable, Taylor. Just want to have a little chat with Carmen." Bella spoke, her voice eerily calm. She returned her attention to Carmen who struggled–unsuccessfully–against the viselike grip on her hair.

Carmen froze, a cold shiver of fear ran down her spine when she saw the expression on Bella's face. Bella had the look of a predator that had cornered its prey, and was now on the verge of tearing it apart. The difference between yesterday's insecure girl and today's enraged woman was like day and night.

A thunderous scowl darkened Jacob's face when the scent of Carmen's terror grew. "Let her go, Bella. I'm not kidding around."

She ignored him. Didn't even spare him a glance. The wolf bared its teeth in a silent snarl, bristling with indignation because she didn't instantly obey, that she had dared to ignore them.

"Now that I have your complete attention. I'm only gonna say this once, so listen carefully." Bella lowered her face to Carmen's. The dangerous edge in her next words made Carmen tremble. "If you ever do anything like that again, I will rip your throat out. Do you understand?"

Bella stroked the column of Carmen's throat with her nails for emphasis, and watched the other woman's skin turn sickly pale.

"I understand," was Carmen's forced whisper.

Bella's eyes roamed Carmen's face, taking in the delicate features she'd envied the day before. Her face took on a wistful expression. "You do have pretty hair."

She released Carmen with a jerk, taking pleasure in the way the other woman scrambled away from her.

"Now we can be friends again." A small, mocking smile touched Bella's lips as she watched a visibly shaken Carmen stumble back into Jacob's waiting arms.

Crisis averted, Ryan and Zach continued about the business of loading their suitcases, but there was a noticeable increase in their movements. A cruel smirk tilted Liz's lips before she climbed into the front seat.

Over Carmen's shoulder, Bella carefully schooled her features, unflinchingly meeting the full force of Jacob's fierce scowl. His mouth hardened into a harsh line, muscled arms providing shelter and comfort to the woman she'd reduced to tears. In another life Bella would've been ashamed, horrified by her actions, but that was before the cancer, before the never-ending rage. Bella found solace in the outcome of her actions.

Carmen would think twice about crossing her again.

Taylor didn't say it, though she read the conflicting emotions in his eyes. He was both proud and perturbed by what she'd just done. Bella understood his internal battle. She was equally repelled and pleased by the small part of her currently reveling in Carmen's fear. The tiny part that had whispered to Bella from the dark corner of her mind.

_Rip her throat out_, it'd said. _Her blood would be warm._ And it liked warm.

The voice no longer frightened her once she'd learned how to ignore it, eventually coming to accept it as the cost of survival. She hadn't shared the existence of the voice with anyone. Not even Taylor who still suffered from the effects of having a part of his soul ripped from his body. The frequency of his night terrors had decreased, but there were still nights when his screaming scared the hell out of her.

No. She couldn't burden Taylor with this secret, so she'd keep it to herself. It was the only way to protect him from what she was going through. Also, she feared it would only empower the voice if she acknowledged its existence.

They were both suffering. And because of this–the hefty price they'd both paid for her continued existence, Bella could not allow anyone to get away with attacking her.

She would never be sorry for defending herself.

Bella's eyes shifted from Taylor to Jacob and caught him studying her with a silent, watchful intensity. It was strange. He stared as if he had the ability to see inside her. An impossible feat for him because there was nothing left to see. His _Bells_ was long gone.

A gentle touch on her back and Taylor was at her side. "Let's go home."

_Home_.

Without a backward glance, Bella climbed into the car and left with her friends.

Bella couldn't allow herself to be swayed by memories of the past. She was not an ordinary girl anymore.

Not since the day she died and came back from the land of the dead with a monster.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. My apologies for the extra late chapter. A close relative of mine lost her battle with cancer and I've been sort of... adrift ever since, unable to write anything that wasn't complete crap. Thanks for your messages, they really kept me writing each time I began to think that no one would miss this story if my inspiration never came back.

**Back to the story**

Liz almost went draken on Carmen

Taylor and Jacob almost got into it

Will Rachel accept Jacob's decision or will she meddle?

Sam's paying for mistreating his wife

Now the pack knows what Bella went through or at least part of it...

Even though Jacob took Carmen back, his wolf isn't interested. What's up with that?

Leah dumped Zach and Bella. Did she overreact?

Bella put the fear of monsters in Carmen. Was she justified or did she go too far?

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	7. The Cancer Chick

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Bella peeled her eyelids open.

Exhaustion threatened to drag her back to the darkness, and she blinked rapidly to clear her blurred vision. Confused, she peered around at her unfamiliar room and struggled to remember where she was.

The bed beneath her was a hospital bed, complete with guardrails and a built-in controller. An empty wheelchair stood next to a table with a vase of fresh flowers on it. She was hooked up to various machines that monitored her vitals. And yet aside from those hospital fixtures, the rest of her room held furnishings on par with a luxury hotel; plush carpeting, whitewashed walls and a large flat screen television.

Through her hazy memory, Bella was able to recognize her surroundings. She was at the Cullen's house in one of their guestrooms. She'd fallen asleep while Liz was reading a hilarious trashy novel to her. Said trashy novel now laid abandoned on the nightstand and Liz was nowhere to be seen.

Bella attempted to swallow but her mouth and throat was so parched, she felt as if she might die from the thirst alone. As getting out of bed would require a degree of energy she did not possess, Bella searched for the bell to call someone. Her search came up empty.

Becoming desperate, Bella brought a hand up to her face, and dragged off her oxygen mask. The slight movement ignited an intense pain in her back and joints. The shock of it paralyzed her, stealing the breath from her lungs. Her pain medication had worn off while she slept. Breathing without the mask required extra effort, so she had to wait until the pain subsided.

"Liz," Bella called out weakly.

Apart from the beeping of the machines that monitored her heart and blood pressure, there was only silence. Bella became worried. She assumed Taylor and the other guys were still on campus. _Where is everyone?_ Was she the only one in the house? It was never this quiet. Emmett-the noisiest vampire in the world-and his booming laughter would've been heard by now.

"Edward?" She rasped.

Worry soon turned to fear as more silence greeted her. Edward would usually be the first one through that door. Whenever she had a fever, he would climb into the hospital bed and use his coolness to bring her comfort. Though Edward always maintained a respectful distance when Taylor was around, Bella knew he cherished any alone time he got to spend with her.

Bella heard the slow approach of footsteps coming down the hall, and her heart rate began to pick up speed. She didn't understand the reason behind her irrational fear, but she had a bad feeling. Bella decided she didn't want company after all. The pain and thirst wasn't all that bad.

The knob turned, door opening to reveal Alice.

For some unknown reason seeing Alice did nothing to calm her nerves.

"Are you okay?" Alice stood on the threshold, an odd expression on her face.

"Where's Liz?"

A small smile curved Alice's mouth. It looked unnatural. "She's taking a nap. Something I can get you?"

_You can give me my best friend back._ Bella thought. Voicing that thought out loud would've gotten her nowhere. Alice had changed.

"My pills and a glass of water please." It would've been easier if Bella had allowed Alice to deliver the pain meds through the IV in her arm, but Bella still insisted on pills. It was the only way she could be certain of what she was putting in her body. To say she no longer trusted Alice was an understatement.

Alice went into the bathroom and returned carrying the items she'd asked for. After Bella took her medication, Alice set the half empty glass on the table, but didn't leave.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked anxiously when Alice removed her oxygen mask and set it down on her lap.

"There's something we need to discuss." Alice settled herself on the chair next to the bed.

"Where's Carlisle?"

"He went hunting with the others." A faint smile.

This was the first time Bella and Alice had been alone without any of the other vampires around to act as referee.

"Can't this wait until the others get back?" Bella attempted to inject some much needed levity into the tense atmosphere. "You know how my Swiss cheese brain can't hold much–"

"You're dying, Bella."

Bella's breath caught in her chest.

"I know."

After her admission, Bella waited for the grief and sorrow to hit her, but it didn't happen. She only felt acceptance. On a subconscious level, she'd always known that her life would be short. Though she'd always assumed her life would've eventually been claimed by something supernatural. Who would've thought that her own body would turn on her?

Bella somberly regarded Alice and lamented over the transformation her friend had undergone. Ever since Bella's diagnosis, Alice had become obsessed with saving her life, much to the detriment of Alice's marriage. Constantly running numerous medical scenarios through her mind didn't leave much room for Jasper or anything else. In fact, Bella couldn't remember the last time Alice ordered something that didn't fall under the category of medical supplies. It had been a long time since Alice shopped for clothing or fun.

Bella wanted to scream, _what the fuck happened to you?_

Instead she asked, "How long do I have?"

"Two weeks."

"So soon..." Bella was at a loss for words.

"I've gone over _every_ possible sequence of events but it all ends the same. Unless we can figure something out, you'll die two weeks from today."

"I think it's time to call my parents."

They both knew what a big step it was for Bella to want to involve Charlie and Renee. In her own way, she'd tried to protect them from this very scenario. She hadn't wanted them to see her this way; weak and feeble. A mere shell of her former self. The thought of dealing with their sadness on top of her own grief was too much to bear. She'd intended to tell them the truth when hr doctors were sure she'd had the cancer beat, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. When the end came, she wanted to be with her parents.

"So, that's it? You're just going to give up?"

Bella sighed, feeling weariness deep in her soul. "Alice, I don't want to die bitter and angry over the way my life turned out. My whole damn life I've never done anything gracefully. But this..." She swallowed hard. "This is my last chance. Don't take that away from me."

Alice took the oxygen mask out of Bella's hands, and moved it out of reach when she attempted to place it back on her face.

"And what about Taylor?"

"Don't." Bella's eyes narrowed in warning. She would not let Alice use emotional blackmail to manipulate her into trying experimental treatments. She'd earned the right to say enough.

The mental anguish Bella felt at the thought of leaving Taylor was unrelenting. But she was ready for her nightmare to come to an end. She was finished with doctors cutting into her body. Done with the constant infections and blood transfusions. Taylor had asked her to fight, and so-for him–she'd fought. But if Bella had it to do over again, she would've refused all cancer treatments. She would've dropped out of college and traveled around the world with Taylor. She would've died living.

"This will destroy him." The absolute conviction in Alice's words scared her.

Bella shut her eyes. "You don't know that."

"He will sit at your grave and he will starve himself to death."

"Stop it!"

Bella shot up without a thought for her back, and screamed as the movement sent a wave of unimaginable pain through her body. Her vision blurred and then Alice was there, gently easing her back down to the bed. When her agony eventually subsided, Bella was left shaking and sobbing in the aftermath of pain. The incision on her back from the spinal surgery hadn't healed very well, leaving her in a lot of pain.

Alice looked on, her expression one of fear and helplessness.

Bella's next words were noticeably weaker. "It's over, Alice. We knew what it meant the minute they discovered the tumors on my spinal cord–" Bella bit off her words when Alice looked away to hide the shame in her eyes.

The discovery had been the ultimate game-changer. That and the one time Alice decided to go away with Jasper for one week, a hospital error landed Bella in intensive care. Bella had never seen Carlisle so furious, Edward had wanted to bring a malpractice lawsuit against the hospital and Alice blamed herself for failing to protect Bella, whose body was now so weak, she'd been confined to her bed.

"It's not your fault, Alice. You and Carlisle did everything imaginable to save my life, but you're not gods." She grasped Alice's hand, ignoring the shocking difference in their temperatures. "I don't know what's on the other side, Alice, but it has just got to be better than this."

"We only have one option left."

Already knowing where this conversation was headed, Bella moved her hand away. "Alice-"

Alice had already begun to pace. "This is happening for a reason."

"Reason?" Bella asked warily, one hand gripping the bedrail.

"I think you were always meant to be one of us." Alice paused and when she faced Bella again, her amber eyes had gone completely black.

Terror stiffened Bella's limbs, and sent the air rushing from her lungs. For the second time in her life, she was afraid of Alice Cullen.

"Alice, what are you doing?" Liz suddenly appeared in the doorway gaze darting between Alice and Bella. She'd been awoken by Bella's scream.

"It's the only way," Alice murmured softly, eyes completely focused on Bella.

"Get away from her."

"I won't let you die. I can't..."

Dread filled Bella when she realized that the battle to save her life had pushed Alice passed the brink of sanity. She'd gone mad. Alice took a step toward the bed, but froze when an unearthly shriek filled the room.

"_We said get away from her._"

In a blink, Alice whirled around to face the crouched figure by the door. Bella stared in shock at the fearsome monster that was Liz rose from the crouched position, her newly lengthened limbs were tipped with dangerous talons. Cold, green eyes with reptile-like slits for pupils, peered out from a face that was both familiar and alien. Pointed ears twitched as Liz bared her fangs at Alice.

"You won't win this fight, Liz. Back down." Alice's expression hardened, her body subconsciously changing into a defensive stance. Despite her words, she was preparing herself for a fight.

"_You do not scare us, creature_!" Liz's guardian spat. Her writhing mass of hair snatched angrily at the air.

Bella was drowning in a sea of rising panic. One of them was about to kill the other, right in front of her and she was powerless to stop it.

"Something's wrong." Liz and Alice failed to hear Bella's soft words.

Their focus on each other was so great that a bomb could've gone off and they wouldn't have noticed. The room began to spin and chills wracked her body. Her plummeting heart rate triggered the machine's alarms, but that too went unnoticed as vampire faced off against draken.

Liz's eyes flashed a moment before she lunged, moving faster than Bella ever saw her do.

But Alice was ready for her.

The vampire slammed a hand into Liz's chest and sent her hurtling toward the wall on the far side of the room. Liz managed to right herself in mid-flight and used the wall as a launching pad to hurl herself back toward Alice. Her body crashed into Alice's with so much force that they were unable to stop themselves from colliding with Bella. The last thing Bella remembered before losing consciousness was being thrown from the bed.

* * *

Bella jerked out of sleep with a gasp, hand clutching her chest.

Next to her, Taylor sat up alarmed. "What's wrong, Isabella?"

Bella threw her arms around him, and buried her face against his chest.

"Did you have another nightmare?" The head on his chest nodded. "You want to tell me about it?"

"No," Bella responded with a sob.

So Taylor just held her tightly as she struggled to keep the tears at bay. In that moment, he couldn't find the words to comfort her. He was too busy mulling over the reason behind her upset.

Finally, he forced himself to say, "It's okay. You're safe."

In the darkness of their bedroom, those words sounded even more hollow. They both knew she wasn't safe, and Taylor still blamed himself everyday for his failure to protect her.

Taylor had no idea what her nightmare was about, and he knew better than to press. Instead he decided to concentrate his efforts on calming her. He settled back down on the bed, taking her with him. Humming softly, he began to languidly run his hands up and down her back. As time marched on, her body relaxed under his administrations, and he succeeded in coaxing her back to sleep.

While Bella slept, Taylor watched over her sleeping form for any telltale signs of more nightmares. He was usually able to head her bad dreams off at the pass. Each time she began to thrash and whimper, Taylor was there gently caressing her face and back before she neared the state of wakefulness. Admittedly, he did not get much sleep that night, but even so, it was a small price to pay. For Taylor, no price was too high to be the one who got to keep her nightmares away.

Time passed and darkness gave way to light. Morning light illuminated their bedroom when Bella started to stir. He'd continued to feign sleep until she scooted over to his side of the bed and kissed him on the chin. He opened his eyes to find a pair of big, brown ones peering back at him. She giggled when he rolled on top of her and nuzzled her neck. He'd forgotten how long it'd had been since they'd been alone like this. No house full of eavesdropping vampires. No weird Renee _accidentally _barging their room and then leaving, disappointed that she hadn't walked in on them having sex.

Ryan studied Taylor's face, taking in his bloodshot eyes and weary features. "You look awful."

"Thanks," Taylor muttered dryly.

"Long night?" Zach asked, his voice lacked its usual trace of mirth. He lay stretched out on the couch, head resting on his arms, legs crossed at the ankle.

"Nightmares." Taylor jerked his head in Bella's direction as she stood debating with Liz and Angela over the best spot to place the couch. Who would've thought furniture placement could provoke such in-depth discussions?

"Izzy keeps having those nightmares because she's keeping everything bottled inside." Ryan made an astute observation. "And you watching over her all night, isn't exactly healthy either. You can't be everything to her."

"I know."

"But that won't stop you from trying, will it?" Ryan shook his head, a sardonic half smile played on his lips.

Taylor's answering smile elicited an eye roll from Zach, and a _whipped_ comment from Ryan.

Taylor knew Ryan was right, but he'd been taking care of Bella for so long that it had become a habit. Though lately, he'd found himself thinking about what they used to be together, and being anxious for them to break out of the patient/caregiver roles they'd been relegated to.

"Just pick a spot already!" Ryan threw his hands up in frustration. "All week it's been _guys move this, guys lift that_. I feel like a freaking camel!"

The couch debate came to an abrupt halt, before the three women slowly turned to glare at Ryan.

"I'm sorry, _sweetie_. I didn't hear you. Say that again." Liz said frostily with an arched eyebrow.

"I ah..." Ryan swallowed thickly, his gaze darting away fearfully. "Nothing."

After a moment, the women returned to their furniture debate.

"Pussy," Zach teased, grinning broadly for the first time in days.

"You should be the last one to call anybody a pussy." Ryan shoved Zach's feet off the couch and sat down.

"What was that?"

"You heard me. Why are you letting Leah get away?"

"_Letting?_" Zach snorted in disbelief. "If you knew Leah, you'd know that no one _lets _her do anything. She does what she wants."

"Did you call her?" Taylor was glad the conversation had moved on from his nocturnal habits.

"I did. She doesn't want to talk to me. Even threatened to rip my balls off if I came anywhere near her house."

Ryan whistled and regarded Zach with raised eyebrows.

"For both your sakes, I think you should give Leah some space."

"You know? If I never see another vampire again it will be too soon." Zach's words were infused with bitterness.

They'd all trusted Alice's visions and believed her reasons for not wanting Leah to come to Hanover. When faced with the possibility Bella getting sicker, Taylor had given Alice free-reign to do whatever she had to do to keep Bella alive. In his desperation to save Bella, he'd allowed Alice to turn her into a virtual prisoner. The inevitable guilt and shame settled in, reminding him of how he'd failed to stand up for her. To this day Taylor didn't know the real reason Alice wanted to keep Leah away and Bella still refused to tell him.

Ryan slapped Zach hard on the shoulder. "Don't worry. If anybody can get through to Leah, it's Izzy."

Just then Bella eyes met his. Taylor wished–not for the first time–he had Edward's mind-reading gift.

* * *

"I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Her eyes lit up with excitement as she began to scan their surroundings.

They were standing in the backyard, the morning sun peeking through the thick overhang of clouds. Theirs was the last house at the end of a cul-de-sac, chosen partly for dense forest that lined the edge of their property, which also happened to contain Bella's surprise.

"Wha..."

A slight blush stained Bella's cheeks when Taylor removed a black silk scarf from his pocket. He gave her a heated stare, pleased she remembered previous occasions he'd used a blindfold on her.

"Here put this on."

Blushing harder, her gaze went from him to the blindfold and then back to him again. "Taylor, we're in broad daylight and our friends are right inside."

His lips tugged into a teasing grin. "No, your surprise is in the forest. The blindfold and earplugs are to keep you from seeing or hearing your surprise before I'm ready."

Despite her skepticism, she closed her eyes and allowed him to blindfold her. At first her body tensed at the loss of sight, but then as the seconds ticked by, her training kicked in and she got used to it. That as a good sign. It took a lot of trust to allow someone else to take away one of your body's most important senses.

"This surprise had better be good, Spanish man." She grumbled before securing the earplugs in her ears, leaving her blind, deaf and completely at his mercy.

With one hand on her arm, another on her back, he led her across the backyard and into the trees behind their home.

Taylor guided the way, carefully scanning the terrain for low-hanging branches, overgrown shrubbery and tree roots.

"Worse seeing eye dog ever." She laughed a little breathlessly after she stumbled on a small rock that Taylor missed.

Even though she could not see him, Taylor responded with a smile and continued to lead her deeper into the forest.

After they arrived at their destination, Taylor stood in front of her and undid the blindfold. A light touch on her eyelids communicated that he wanted her to keep them closed a little while longer. She opened her eyes just as he removed her earplugs. The look of awe on her face when she saw they were standing at the bottom of a waterfall was one he wouldn't forget as long as he lived.

With wide eyes, she stood still taking in the loud roar of water as it emptied into the pool below. A light mist dusted her pale skin and the mild flush on her cheeks. The sunlight caught her hair, giving the appearance of a halo.

Taylor didn't think there was a woman on the planet that could compete with her beauty.

She turned to him with a light in her eyes. "This is incredible."

"I knew you'd like it." Taylor touched her cheek before stepping away from her. "The real-estate agent told me about it when she was showing me the house."

"What are you doing?" Bella asked, watching anxiously as he yanked his t-shirt over his head and reached for the waistband of his pants.

"Come on, woman. Let's go for a swim." He stepped into the cool water, only stopping when he sensed she wasn't following behind him.

"We're alone here, Isabella. Just us. You can take off the mask." Taylor smiled, completely unfazed by her hesitation. He knew her confidence had been shaken by everything she'd gone through, but he was only just beginning to see how much.

Every move he made was calculated beforehand. Each morning when she came out of the shower, he would be in their bedroom, waiting for her. His actions were designed to rebuild her trust, and remind her that he was still there waiting for when she was ready to come back to him.

"Okay." She bit her bottom lip and sent him a shaky nod, uncertainty shining in her eyes. Under his watchful gaze, she stripped down to her underwear, and–after a brief hesitation–removed her _mask_.

Offering a shy smile, she took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her into the watery depths of the pool.

Bella paused as the water reached her hips, hand still firmly enclosed in his.

"I feel like I should be honest with you. Nothing's been the same since I got sick. Sometimes I get so tired during the day; it's all I can do to stay awake. Most nights I can't sleep and every time I do I dream about things I'd rather forget. I wish I could tell you everything will be like it used to be… but I can't."

Taylor understood her fears. She didn't want him to be disappointed by how much she'd changed. He knew she'd gotten into the habit of _performing; _the fakes smiles, forcing herself to be energetic when she was clearly exhausted. He saw right through her facade.

"It's all right, Isabella. You don't have to _be _anything right now. We're just swimming. That's all I'm asking for."

Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

Bella took his hand and together they dove into the water. They surfaced, playing and splashing each other like children. She laughed. An uninhibited, intoxicating laugh that lit up her eyes and reminded him of happier times. Those were the days when she'd all but glowed with happiness and he'd been determined to get her to marry him, one way or another.

"God, you are so beautiful."

And just like that the smile in her eyes died.

"Why do you keep saying that?" She asked, suddenly very angry with him. "We both know I'm not what I used to be."

The underlying emotion behind her words gave him pause. He couldn't deny that she'd been different since she had the brain tumor removed. She swore worse than a drunken marine, and had problems with impulse control. Sometimes she'd completely zone out on him in the middle of a sentence, and forget what they were talking about. Other times she'd completely fly off the handle and accuse him of moving her things around. In Taylor's mind, he had one of two choices. He could allow himself to be bitter because he'd sent one woman off to surgery and had gotten back another. Or he could work on adjusting to their new normal. He chose to do the latter.

"I'm a shell, Taylor. I barely recognize the face I see in the mirror everyday. My memory's still fucked up–"

"Do you remember what I said to you that morning on the rooftop?" Taylor held on tightly when she tried to pull away. He grasped her chin firmly and forced her to look at him. "No matter what happens, you are still my Isabella and I can remember for the both of us."

He knew what it felt like to hold her dying in his arms. For him, nothing else in the world would ever come close to that kind of pain.

Smiling to herself, Bella shook her head.

"What?"

"Thank you for sticking with my crazy ass." Sadness touched her smile. "I know this wasn't what you signed up for."

"No thanks necessary. But I will accept an award for sainthood." Taylor's joke earned him a playful slap on the arm. She laid her head on his chest with a contented sigh.

"Who was that on the phone earlier?" Taylor asked when he felt her mind wander.

"It was Embry." She made a face as she pulled away.

"One of Jacob's friends?" Taylor asked and she nodded. "What did he want?"

"To tell me that Jacob didn't know that I was sick."

Taylor's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Do you believe him?"

"I didn't at first, but he said Jacob told him he didn't know. Embry said he believes him."

"That's not what I asked." Taylor tapped her on the chin and she reluctantly met his gaze. "Do _you_ believe him?"

Silence stretched out between them as she considered his words.

"Yeah, I do." She shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. "And it makes me feel like shit."

Taylor observed they way she kept wringing her hands and lowering her eyes. He took that to mean she was embarrassed by something she'd done.

"What happened?"

"We had a fight and I sort of accused Jacob of only caring about his perfect life and wishing I'd died. Then I ran away like some kind of drama queen and didn't even give him a chance to explain," she admitted reluctantly.

"When was this?"

Bella quit chewing on her bottom lip. "The night of Michael's party."

Taylor thought back to that night he'd found her crying in the parking lot. She'd been upset over Jacob. She had a fight with Jacob and didn't tell him.

Bella must've read his mind. "I didn't say anything about the fight to avoid you getting into it with him." She continued after a pause. "I was so sure he'd gotten my letter…"

"Yeah, I was too." He tried and failed to keep the grimace off his face.

"You don't like him, do you?" Bella asked after a long pause.

Taylor remembered the burning hatred he felt, watching Bella cry when Alice told her Jacob wasn't coming to Hanover. Even with the revelation that Jacob never got her letter, it didn't reduce the dislike he felt for the guy. Him and his violent girlfriend.

"Why do you say that?" They both knew he was avoiding answering the question.

"Because I know you, Spanish man," she said with a delicious little purr that never failed to make his heart race. "You only make that face when you don't like someone."

Taylor especially didn't like the way Jacob's eyes always seemed to linger on Bella. He recalled the day on the beach when she got hurt and he looked up to find Jacob holding her hand. The urge to claw the man's face off had taken him by surprise. Never before had he wanted to do bodily harm to one of Bella's exes like he did that day. Not Edward, not even Dillon Buchanon.

He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip and didn't answer. He didn't need to.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." She nipped his finger. "Those guys don't leave their women. So you can relax. Jacob doesn't feel that way about me anymore."

"I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me."

Remembering their vow to always be truthful with one another, she agreed.

Taylor drew in a breath and asked the question he'd never dared to ask before. "Why did you leave him?"

"Because I knew someday he'd meet Carmen," She replied with a wistful look in her eyes. "He was always meant for someone else."

Taylor couldn't explain why but her answer didn't put him at ease. Her past with Jacob unsettled him more what she'd shared with Edward. That was strange considering she'd almost married the vampire, and gone through with her plan to become his undead bride. Maybe he was most bothered by the fact that she had no trouble talking about her past with Edward.

However, she never spoke about Jacob.

Sometimes Taylor would ask himself why that was, but he never asked Bella. With her he'd learned not to ask questions he didn't want to hear the answers to.

Taylor pushed his doubts aside. He had no reason to doubt her love for him. She was his, he was hers. There wasn't a man alive with the power to come between them now. Not even Jacob Black.

"I think you should talk to him. Clear the air." _Put him in the past once and for all_, he added silently.

"You really think I should?"

"If we're going to make a life here, you should make peace with him." He wanted her to have closure.

After a pause, her gaze became admiring. "You really are something else."

"How so?"

"Any other guy would be encouraging me to stay away from my ex but not you." She gave him an alluring smile as her arms encircled his neck. "You're actually encouraging me to talk to him. How did I get so lucky?"

Taylor grinned at her. The woman definitely knew how to stroke a man's ego. "You must have been very good in a past life."

Little did Bella know, Taylor considered himself to be the lucky one in their relationship. She'd forgiven him for leaving her which in turn allowed Alice to terrorize her without his knowledge. Even now, she continued to draw breath simply because he willed her to. The world and everything in it could shatter into a million pieces, and he'd be happy as long as she was by his side. His Isabella. His life. His reason for being.

He dipped his head and brushed her lips with his, willing her to open them up for him. After a brief pause she parted his lips and kissed him back slowly, deeply. Taylor was taken by surprise when she eagerly wrapped her legs around his hips. She dug her fingernails into his back and brought him closer. His hands traveled up her back, fingers reaching to unhook her bra–

"Canon ball!" was their only warning before a loud splash interrupted their kiss.

They separated as Ryan surfaced and began to swim over to them. The rest of their friends stood, undressing on the shore.

"Get a room you two!" Angela teased playfully.

"Water fight!" Suddenly Taylor found himself in a headlock, courtesy of Ryan and he had to struggle to get away from the manic, who thought it was fun to sneak in a couple of rib punches while he was at it.

When Taylor managed to untangle himself from Ryan's hold, his eyes instantly went to Bella's face, worried that she'd be upset at the intrusion. His fears were in vain. Although she appeared a little embarrassed to be seen without her _mask,_ she couldn't help but laugh at Ryan's antics. She was happy.

He marveled at the change in her. A mere month ago, she'd snapped and screamed at Liz for barging into her bedroom without knocking. The effects chemo and radiation had on her body had dealt a blow to her self-esteem. Every day since, Taylor had looked on helplessly as she struggled to accept the life she'd been left with.

Her eyes met his and he saw understanding dwelling there.

She'd promised him she would try. So this was her... trying. For him, she would bury her discomfort to make him happy.

Right then and there, Taylor vowed he would always try to give her more reasons to bring out that beautiful smile of hers.

* * *

"That's an awful lot of pink." Taylor commented as he stood next to Bella and Liz, taking in Claire's princess themed birthday party.

The backyard had been transformed into an enchanted fairytale, and decorated with baby pink and purple balloons, pink paper lanterns. Guests had already begun to arrive. They were a little late as Bella had been up most of night baking.

Two days ago, Emily had called Bella to ask if she would bake some cupcakes for the party. She'd been unable to make them herself because she was experiencing some _pregnancy issues_. After a lot of thought and discussion with Amy, Bella decided to make cake pops instead. It had been a fulltime job keeping Zach and Ryan from stealing the pops when she wasn't looking. Taylor was no better, lying about eating a cake pop when he had candy crumbs all over his face. After five cake pops mysteriously went missing, Bella ended up employing the use of a spatula to keep them away.

"You look fine," Liz whispered in Bella's ear when she began to fidget with her hair again. She'd been doing that the entire ride over.

Bella smiled in gratitude, watching the way Liz fingered the strap on her camera.

Liz had offered to play photographer for Claire's party, but Bella knew she was pleased to have an excuse to utilize her hobby. When Bella got sick, Liz had been overcome by the desire to chronicle each step of her journey. Though she hadn't enjoyed being photographed, she understood it was Liz's way of coping with everything.

Taylor had come to keep an eye on her. She was still operating on a diminished immune system, and she hadn't gotten her flu shot yet. A party full of kids was considered to be ground zero. The last thing she needed was to wind up in the hospital due to complications from the flu.

Taylor and Bella carried the pops over to the table and set them down next to a large bowl of purple popcorn.

"Sorry we're late," Bella apologized to a flustered Amy who waved her off.

"No worries. The party's just getting started."

"Wow. These look great, Bella." Emily, Kim and Rachel came over and gathered around her.

"Thanks." Bella said while scrutinizing Emily's healthy glow. "I thought you were sick."

Kim and Rachel glanced down at their feet, smothering smiles and Emily laughed nervously. "It comes and goes."

Bella got the feeling that Emily had fabricated an illness to get her down here. But why were the wolf girls being so sneaky? If they'd asked her for help up front, she would've said yes.

"So... We heard about the cancer." Kim touched Bella's hand.

"Yeah, how are you feeling?" Rachel's gaze was sympathetic. Both women practically reeked of pity.

Bella's heart sank. It was official, she was the cancer chick.

"I'm great!" Bella's lips stretched into a fake smile.

"Are you cured?" Kim asked in a voice soft with concern.

That question never failed to set Bella's teeth on edge. For the rest of her life she would have to be vigilant and live in fear of a recurrence. Just because she survived chemo and radiation therapy didn't mean she was cured.

Through sheer effort Bella was able to keep the smile on her face. "I'm cancer free." _For now._

Bella reminded herself she couldn't be mad at the wolf girls. They all still lived in a world untouched by tumors and needles and painful procedures. No. Bella couldn't bring herself to be angry at them for their ignorance, instead she envied them. What she would give to not know what a bone marrow biopsy felt like. Among other things...

"Is Leah here?" Bella looked around, desperate for a change in topic.

"Um… She dropped off Claire's present and left." Emily informed her.

They didn't need to say it. By the way they were all avoiding her gaze, Leah left the party early because she knew that Bella would be there. Well too bad for Leah because her plan didn't work. Bella had every intention of dropping by Leah's place to confront her after Claire's party. She would not let the she-wolf get away with avoiding her. Besides, she promised Zach she would make Leah understand that none of this was his fault.

Jacob pulled up in his truck with Quil and got out.

"Guess Carmen decided not to come." Bella murmured to herself, unaware that the others had heard.

Kim gave Rachel a look, and Bella saw something unspoken pass between them.

"Didn't you hear? Amy asked Jacob to keep her away from the party after Emily told her you'd be helping out." Rachel informed Bella a tad gleefully. "Amy heard what Carmen did to you and threatened unleash holy hell if she did anything to ruin Claire's party."

Bella was unsure how to respond to that revelation. On one hand, she could relax knowing she wouldn't be forced to spar verbally or physically with Carmen. On the other hand, this would make Carmen hate her even more than she already did. Based on the dagger filled stares she kept receiving from Mel and Tess that ship had already sailed.

"Quil!" Claire screamed in excitement and threw herself into his arms. She wore an adorable pink, frilly princess dress that puffed up when Quil spun her around.

Bella noticed that Claire's parents were both on the verge of upset, observing their daughter's interaction with her so-called soul mate. To outsiders, it was a touching scene, but to David and Amy, it was nauseating.

It was at that moment Jacob's eyes picked her out from the crowd. The last time Bella saw him, he'd been pissed because she'd threatened Carmen, but something had changed since then. He seemed to be seeing her in a different light. The way he was looking at her... It was strange. Bella blinked, wondering how long they'd been staring at each other.

She looked away to find Rachel watching her, eyes shining with secret knowledge Bella wasn't privy to. Right now, it was knowledge Bella had no interest in gaining. She just knew that Rachel's gaze was making her feel antsy.

She was overly grateful and the first one to volunteer when Amy asked for help with the food.

In the kitchen, Amy opened and slammed drawers in anger. She snatched a tray of ice out of the freezer, slamming the door so hard the entire refrigerator shook.

"Why can't he find someone his own age? Why won't he leave my baby the hell alone!"

Amy dumped the ice into the pitcher with such force that a couple of cubes missed and went flying.

Bella could not believe what she was about to say, but it had to be said. "Far be it from me to defend Quil..."

"Why am I sensing a but in there somewhere?" Amy picked up the rogue ice-cubes and tossed them in the sink.

At the risk of pissing Amy off, Bella said, "While Claire is as cute as a button, having a child for an imprint can't be easy for Quil. It's weird, Amy, and everybody knows it. I'm not saying that he has it harder than you and David. Just that it's hard all around and it's no one's fault."

Imprint or no imprint, having a child for a soul mate was creepy. No way around it. But Quil wasn't the pervert lusting after kids at the park. He genuinely cared for Claire and everybody could see that it wasn't sexual. Whether it would stay that way in later years remained to be seen.

Amy appeared thoughtful. "I guess I never thought about it like that."

They worked in silence until Amy said, "I bet you're wishing you'd stayed away." She continued to pour pink lemonade into cups. "I mean this has got to change everything for you. How could it not?"

"What's changed?" Bella paused in the middle of stacking sausage rolls.

Amy set the pitcher down slowly, her eyes searching Bella's face in growing shock. "Oh my God, he still hasn't told you, has he?"

"Who hasn't told me what?"

A sardonic twist came to Amy's mouth as she propped a hand on her hip. "Then pull up a chair, honey, because I've got a tale to tell you–"

"Sorry to interrupt but if you don't get some lemonade out there those kids are gonna riot." Rachel suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking a little agitated.

Although Amy wasn't happy Rachel had interrupted them, she wordlessly took the lemonade outside. Rachel gave Bella an anxious smile before following after Amy.

Bella's confusion deepened. What the hell? Had Rachel been listening to their conversation?

Bella carried the sausage rolls back to the table and searched for Amy. She wanted to continue their conversation. She was on her way over to Amy when Quil intercepted her.

"Can I talk to you?"

She was immediately on her guard. Quil never had one nice thing to say to her since she came back. What could he possibly want to talk to her about?

"What is it?" She asked curtly.

Quil sighed, raking his fingers through his hair in discomfort. "I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?" Bella asked, completely flabbergasted.

"I heard what you said to Amy about me. Thanks for not throwing me under the bus." Quil looked as though that admission had caused him physical pain.

"Oh. You're welcome I guess." Bella didn't know what to say.

Quil's dark scowl returned with a vengeance. "I still don't like you."

"And I still don't give a shit." Bella raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Quil sauntered off with a disgusted snort, and Bella glared at his retreating figure. Ass.

Bella searched for Taylor and found him across the sea of screaming kids, talking with David and another man. His eyebrows pulled together slightly as if to ask, _are you okay?_ Taylor had seen her talking to Quil, and was worried he'd upset her again. Sure she'd put up a fuss when Taylor said he would also be coming with her to Claire's party. But when all was said and done, she had to admit to being glad he decided to come with her. Bella's cake pops were a hit, and Liz was in her glee photographing the enchanted treasure hunt. It was the perfect day.

Suddenly, the smile faded from Taylor's face, his eyes going cold. Bella was perplexed until she realized he was looking at something over her shoulder. She sensed a presence behind her. The urge to flee reared its ugly head and Bella stomped it out. She knew she would've had to face him sooner or later. It might as well be now.

After taking a deep, fortifying breath Bella turned around to find Jacob Black towering over her. She caught the tail-end of the icy look he gave Taylor before focusing on her.

He studied her face with those penetrating, dark eyes and she schooled her features to project calm. Though on the inside she was awed and unsettled by his formidable size and height. Apparently, Jacob had still been growing four years ago. She took in everything, from his wild, black hair to his powerful legs. It was disturbing, knowing he possessed the strength to crush her skull with one massive fist alone.

Bella began to feel a little self-conscious because of the pink glittering butterfly Amy had painted on her cheek. She probably looked ridiculous, but–screw it. It was all in good fun.

"Look, I didn't know–"

"I know you–"

They both began at the same time and Bella couldn't help but laugh at the awkwardness of their situation. For the first time she noticed his voice was deeper than she remembered.

"Let's try this again. I'll go first." She held up a hand when he tried to speak. "I know you didn't know I was sick."

A frown creased his brow. "How–"

"Embry called me."

"Embry." His lips formed a tight line, giving Bella the impression that he didn't approve of Embry calling her. "I'm glad he told me."

"Why did you think I knew you were sick?"

"Look, I know I owe you an explanation, considering all the bad things I thought about you. That you were an insensitive jerk who was too wrapped up in imprint sex to–" Bella stopped when his frown deepened and concluded, "I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you."

Bella heard a gasp, earning herself a glare as a mother dragged her wide-eyed six year old away.

"Sorry," Bella mouthed, cringing in embarrassment. The last thing she needed was to be labeled as a foulmouthed pariah by a bunch of mama bears. She turned back to Jacob. "Now where was I...?"

"You were apologizing for being a bitch and thinking I was an ass." Though his face remained stoic, his eyes seemed to be laughing at her. Bastard.

"Yeah... That's not quite what I remember, but sorry."

Bella breathed a quiet sigh of relief that Jacob hadn't pressed for more information like people tended to do sometimes. It was always difficult to explain–without hurting someone's feelings–that she just wasn't comfortable talking about her experience. When talking to cancer survivors, people always expect to hear a triumphant story about how they beat the cancer and emerged stronger than ever. Bella didn't have a story like that to tell. In her case, the cancer had won.

"I'm sorry for what happened the other night... with the pills." He added when Bella looked at him with confusion.

"Oh, you mean sorry for calling me a drug addict and tossing my pills?" Bella asked bluntly.

Was it her imagination or did he wince? "Yeah."

"Apology accepted."

His next question would surprise her and make her heart beat frantically with hope.

"Do you think it's possible to put all this behind us and start over?"

The image of two teenage kids, hanging out and drinking warm sodas came to mind and Bella brushed the memory away. It felt too familiar, that whisper of their past.

"Starting over. There is no such thing." Bella shook her head sadly.

Too much had happened in the time they'd been apart. They weren't Jake and Bells anymore and while it would've been nice to pretend, they both had to face the truth. Jacob hadn't smile once in the time they'd been talking. Did he even remember how? Things wouldn't–couldn't be like they were before. They were both adults now with significant others that needed protecting. Everything and nothing had changed.

She picked up a tray up from the table, and found the courage to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jacob, but we don't really know each other anymore. We can't be friends."

She forced herself to turn and walk away from him. Doing so was surprisingly harder than she thought it'd be. She felt his eyes on her as she went back inside the house.

Bella entered the empty kitchen and set the tray down on the counter, feeling the strangest ache in her chest. She told herself she'd made the right choice in keeping her distance from Jacob. If this were true, why did she feel so bad?

Feeling reluctance to go back outside, Bella wandered into the living room.

She was admiring a particularly adorable picture of baby Claire in the bathtub when she heard a voice behind her.

"My name is Jacob Black. I'm twenty-one years old."

Bella spun around to see Jacob walking toward her.

"What is this?" Bella asked half amused, half intrigued. Jacob continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"I'm the youngest of three and have two sisters." He continued his approach, his stride full of purpose. "Mother died when I was six. Father's in a wheelchair and I make furniture for a living." He extended his hand, a faint smile gracing his lips. "So now you know me."

A reluctant smile tugged at Bella's mouth. She had to admit she was impressed by Jacob's confidence and assertiveness. Clearly he'd changed. That got her to thinking. They were older and hopefully wiser. No raging teenage hormones to deal with. No life or death battles. They'd both moved on with other people, so there would be no crossing lines. Maybe a friendship between them could work out this time. And she'd missed his friendship, more than she felt comfortable admitting out loud.

"Bella Swan. I'm a college dropout mooching off her friends and I'm currently unemployed. Nice to meet you."

She placed her had in his, and felt a warm rush of sensations that made her stiffen. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and her pulse leaped, breath quickening in her chest. Jacob's grip firmed and her eyes immediately flew from his hand to his face. A slight frown marred his brows as every muscle in his body seemed to tighten. From where Bella stood, she noticed the animalistic flair of his nostrils and enlarged pupils. She tried to pull out of his viselike grip, but gave up when it became clear she wasn't going anywhere without his say so.

What the hell? Was it an Alpha asserting his dominance thing?

Bella held her ground, deciding to meet his gaze head-on. She didn't know what his deal was, but if Jacob thought she'd let him scare her into submission, he was in for a rude awakening.

He grinned at her then. A very feral grin that reminded her he was far more creature than man. Bella returned his dark stare. If he thought she was still teen-aged, bumbling Bella, he had no idea the sort of things she was capable of. In the recess of her mind, the darkness stirred but did not wake. Lucky for him.

Eyes locked on his face, Bella stepped closer–close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body–and tugged her hand once more. After another tense second, he released his grip, appearing pleased by her reaction for reasons unknown to her.

Bella took a step back, completely confused by his reaction–and hers.

"Too bad Carmen couldn't make it."

At that moment she would've said anything to get that predatory look out of his eyes. There was some decidedly wolf like about the way his eyes had roamed her face.

Her plan worked as his expression quickly became closed at the mention of Carmen's name.

"You really scared her, you know?"

The mild accusation in his tone made her defensive. "If you're waiting for an apology, Alpha, you're barking up the wrong tree."

"I didn't ask for an apology." His mouth firmed.

"Good because I'm not sorry." Carmen was lucky she didn't do a hell of a lot more than pull her hair. Although faded, the bruise on her forehead was still very much present, due to her slow healing abilities.

Jacob looked as though he wanted to say something, but then decided it wasn't worth the argument.

"Are you completely recovered from the cancer?"

Bella opened her mouth to give him the generic _healthy as a horse _answer she usually gave everyone else, only to promptly close it again. For an unexplained reason, she didn't feel the need to protect Jacob's feelings. "I have good days and bad." She smiled, glancing at the eavesdropping wolf girls in the kitchen. "Today's one of the good days."

It felt nice not having to put on a fake smile so she didn't make someone else uncomfortable. It was beyond exhausting, constantly having to pretend she was happy so people wouldn't assume she needed to start taking her _happy pills_ again.

"So what have you been up to?" He genuinely wanted to know.

"You mean besides congealing in a hospital bed." Bella couldn't help but tease this stone-faced man standing beside her.

Jacob missed the joke. "I didn't mean–"

"I'm kidding." Bella grinned, placing her hand on his arm without thinking. He stiffened and she promptly removed it. She recalled how Emily once told her that imprinted wolves didn't really liked to be touch by other women. The knowledge that Jacob was repulsed by her touch was a hard pill to swallow. She silently promised to keep her hands to herself from now on.

Bella stuck a hand in her pocket to cover her awkwardness. "Well college didn't work out, and since my plan to go into business with Leah crashed and burned, everything's been kind of up in the air." She expelled a breath. "I don't know... maybe opening a business was too ambitious."

"Want me to talk to her?"

_Why do you care?_ She wondered but didn't ask.

"Only if you can order her to stop being a raging bitch." When her request was met with silence, Bella asked only half kidding, "What? No good?"

"No." Jacob reply with a subtle twist of his mouth.

Bella didn't think Leah would appreciate Jacob getting involved anyway. As they spoke, Bella took notice of how the wolf girls would occasionally cast furtive glances in their direction as they pretended to work. For crying out loud, Kim was dusting a banana!

Amy entered the kitchen–saw Rachel and Kim spying–picked up the princess castle piñata and left rolling her eyes.

"That's all right. You don't have to get involved. I'm planning to swing by her place after I'm done here. I'm not leaving until we settle things." Despite her determined tone, Bella didn't expect it to be an easy fix. Leah was really mad. Bella didn't blame her.

Giggling, JJ ran from the kitchen right up to Bella, and raised his arms. "Up."

"You're kind of big for a two year old." Bella groaned as she picked him up and felt a strain on her back.

"He was a ten pound baby." Jacob reached out and messed JJ's hair.

"Ten pounds?" Her eyebrows rose.

"Wolves make big babies." Jacob told her.

That explained the reason behind the size of Emily's belly. Having babies for wolves that were still phasing was bound to have some kind of effect on their kids.

"Good lord. Your mommy's a trooper." JJ touched her face with his small hands and smiled when Bella kissed his fingers. She was unaware that Jacob and the wolf girls were watching them closely.

"He likes you." Jacob's voice sounded strange.

"Of course he does. I've been plying him with cookies and cake all day." Jared and Kim were going to have a hell of a time dealing with his sugar rush.

JJ decided he was done flirting and started to squirm, wanting to be put down. Slowly, carefully, she bent to set him on the ground. His feet were dangling a few inches off the floor when a painful spasm shot up Bella's spine. JJ, thinking that Bella was about to drop him, grabbed onto the first thing he could get his hand on and pulled.

Bella froze and the room went silent.

JJ stared in confusion at the pile of hair in his hand and then back up at Bella's face.

From the gasps of shock, Bella knew what Jacob was seeing–what everyone in the room was seeing.

What used to be long, flowing chestnut hair had been reduced to peach-fuzz. A faint surgical scar could be seen running across her scalp. The part of her head that received high-dose radiation treatment had little or no hair growth due to the damaged hair follicles. As a result she still had bald patches on a portion of her head.

And then it happened.

Bella's heart began to race as feelings of shame and panic washed over her. Shaking hands clutched at the growing tightness in her chest that forced her to gasp for air. Fight or flight response kicked in and instinct told her to flee. Rising on shaky legs and she stumbled toward the front door. She reached for the doorknob and turned, but the door wouldn't open.

She needed air!

She had to get out!

Blinded by rising hysteria, Bella frantically began to pound and claw on the door.

There were voices behind her, but she'd lost the ability to identify them. A strong arm reached around her to unlock the door and then she was free. She staggered onto the porch and collapsed, landing hard on her hands and knees. The voices had followed her. She recoiled when someone–she didn't know who–tried to touch her.

Being outside hadn't helped at all. She still couldn't shift the painful weight pressing down on her chest. The hard hammering of her heart convinced Bella that she was on the verge of having a heart attack. She was going to die.

* * *

In the backyard, Liz was showing Emily some of the pictures she'd taken when a wave of crippling anxiety slammed into her and she almost dropped the camera. She immediately knew that Bella was having another attack.

Emily noticed her distraction and asked, "Everything okay, Liz?"

"I'm fine." Liz calmly excused herself and sought her brother out.

She grabbed his hand. "It's Izzy. Something's wrong–"

They heard a commotion taking place at the front of the house and went to see what was drawing a crowd. When Taylor rounded the corner with Liz hot on his tail, he saw Bella on her hands and knees in the throes of a full-blown panic attack. Losing her wig must have triggered it. He knew how much she despised by seen without her wig–or mask as she liked to call it.

Concern quickly turned into rage when he saw Jacob on the ground beside Bella, attempting to calm her down. When Rachel asked Bella if she was okay, Taylor sprang into action. Asking Bella that question was one sure way to make her more self-conscious and feed her panic. They were making it worse.

"It's okay, Isabella." Taylor made sure to keep his voice clear and soothing. "Look at me."

Panicked eyes met his. "You're safe. Even though you don't feel that way. Nothing here can hurt you."

A distraction was what she needed. "I need you to look at me and breath like I do." He slid his hands up and down his arms. "In through your nose and out through your mouth."

As she continued to take deep breaths, Taylor reassured her that she was safe, she was doing so well. Minutes ticked by, her shaking stopped and her breathing returned to normal. But she wasn't out of the woods yet.

The party had come to a screeching halt because of the commotion and a crowd had gathered to stare. Taylor knew how much shed hated to be stared at.

"Get me out of here." With a plea in her eyes, she spoke softly.

Taylor placed an arm around her shoulder and helped her stand. Behind her, Jacob stared straight at him, hostility rolled off him in waves. Taylor knew then and there Jacob still had feelings for Bella. Not that he had a chance in hell of getting her back. Even so, Taylor's hand instinctively tightened around her. He redirected his attention toward Bella, who he reminded himself was his first priority. With a gentle grip, he began to guide her down the steps.

"God, what a mess." Quil's quiet comment was magnified by the crushing silence.

Bella's breath hitched. She buried her head deeper in Taylor's chest and he felt her humiliation. If she hadn't been holding onto him so tightly, he would've gone back and put his hand through Quil.

Though Taylor didn't see it, Liz made sure to give Quil a dirty look when she returned from the living room with Bella's wig in hand.

Taylor opened the door to the backseat and Bella immediately got in. She turned her back to the onlookers and Liz climbed in after her.

The drive home was conducted in silence. Neither Taylor nor Liz knew what to say to her.

When Taylor pulled into the garage, Bella jumped out of the car and went running into the house. Hands still on the steering wheel, Taylor sat staring into space, wondering what he could do to fix this. How much of this was his fault? Deep inside he knew Bella suffered because of his selfishness. Because he'd needed her live.

With a heavy sigh, Taylor left the car and went to find her.

They met Ryan standing at the foot of the stairs, looking confused. "Izzy just came through here like a bat out of hell. What happened? Where's her mask?"

"It fell off and she had another attack… in front of _everyone_."

"Damn." Ryan commiserated. They all knew how devastated she'd been when she started losing her hair.

"Do you want me to come up?" Liz stopped Taylor when he started to climb the stairs.

"No. I don't think she can handle being around too many people right now." He continued on his way.

Taylor met Angela, hovering in the doorway to their bedroom.

"Where is she?" He asked after peering around and finding the bedroom empty.

"She's... under the bed." Angela had followed Bella up the stairs, but now she was unsure of what to do.

Taylor had only seen Bella like this once before. It happened after they'd moved into the Cullen house. She'd had a seizure, and woke up to discover that she'd peed herself during it. Ashamed, she'd crawled under the bed and refused to come back out. But he'd gotten her out once and he would again.

He kicked off his shoes and crawled in after her. She was curled up in a ball with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her entire body shook with the force of her sobs.

"It's okay." He wrapped his arms around her, and drew her body into his.

"No, it's not. Nothing will ever be okay again." She dissolved into tears again.

Taylor realized she was right. Nothing about the life they were forced to give up was okay. Worst part of it was Taylor couldn't think of anything he could do to fix things. So he did the only thing he could. He held her as she cried and hoped tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

**A/N:** Almost 11000 words. Largest chapter to date! Wow... I really need to work on making my chapters smaller. Still have not replaced my crappy laptop, so I'm currently forced to use hubby's computer until then. He's taken pity on me.

**Back to the story**

You got a glimpse of what Bella went through with Alice in her final days.

Taylor... heart on his sleeve, that man.

Clearly Bella's still struggling.

Taylor doesn't like Jacob... I'm guessing the feeling's mutual.

Did Bella cross the line when she sort of defended Quil?

What was Amy about to tell Bella?

Will Bella and Jacob's plan to be friends work out?

Bella's wig loss and subsequent meltdown in front of everyone made me cringe just writing it.

Did Bella's wig revelation surprise you or did you already guess?

**Review and receive your teasers folks.**


	8. Wolf Juice

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight. I do not. I do however, own my 'gang'.  
**

**A/N: Flying solo folks.**

* * *

Chapter 8

The events of yesterday were still fresh in Bella's mind when she opened her eyes. She remembered everything, the panic, the loss of control and when it was over, the humiliation… the crushing humiliation. With all her might, she wished she could disappear. Would she ever stop being ashamed?

Taylor had managed to lure her out from under the bed with promises that tomorrow would be a better day. Well, tomorrow had come and yet the _better day_ he'd promised was nowhere to be seen.

The instant Bella woke up, there was no escaping her unrelenting embarrassment. Her wig had fallen off and a group of strangers had been there to witness her mortifying meltdown. Quil was right to call her a mess.

Tears prickled her eyes when she wondered what Jacob thought of her. He was probably thanking his lucky stars that he ended up with a soul mate who was sane, healthy and still had all her original parts. Probably congratulating himself for dodging her bullet full of crazy.

She turned her back on the sunlight streaming through her bedroom window, and pulled the covers over her head.

When she first began treatment, she'd been filled with hope because her doctors assured her that not every patient lost their hair. Firmly ignoring Alice's advice to cut her hair short, Bella had allowed herself to believe that she might be one of the lucky few. But weeks later, she woke up to find hair on her pillow. Then she went to scratch her head and came away with a fist of hair. It continued to fall out and turned up in her food whenever she attempted to eat something. One time she caught Taylor leaving the bathroom with red-rimmed eyes and a clump of brown hair he pulled from the shower drain. No matter what she did, her hair just kept falling out. She finally threw in the towel when she began to bear a striking resemblance to Gollum.

Devastated wasn't enough to describe what she felt the first time she saw herself post-shave. She felt completely bare and stripped naked for all to see. It would be weeks before she could bare the sight of her own reflection without bursting into tears. During that time, Taylor made sure to keep all the mirrors in the house covered or hidden. From then on, the mirror became her enemy. When she was ready, Liz and Rosalie helped her pick out scarves and wigs.

Though Bella was able to cover up her baldness with realistic wigs and cute hats, it did nothing to lessen her shame, her hopelessness. She couldn't reconcile the fun loving college girl she'd been with the pitiful creature who looked like death warmed over. There wasn't a day that went by when Bella didn't ask herself what happened to her life?

Lying in bed under the covers, she heard her friends whispering to each other in the hallway. The bedroom door creaked open and someone approached the bed.

"Isabella?" Taylor called softly.

Lying still, she pretended to be asleep.

"I know you're not asleep."

A sigh escaped as she pulled the covers from her head. "What is it?"

Taylor carried a tray of food in his hands. "You haven't had anything to eat all morning."

"I'm not hungry." Despite her protests, her stomach growled loudly. Taylor lifted an eyebrow and Bella grumbled. "Maybe a little."

Taylor sat on the bed and looked on, amused as she crammed two pieces of bacon into her mouth and moaned in ecstasy. She'd forgotten how delicious bacon tasted. Of course, this was the first time she'd been allowed to have bacon in over a year. Due to her dietary restrictions, bacon had been placed on the no-no list. Her moping must've really been bad for Taylor to go against Alice's dietary plan.

"Not hungry, huh?" An annoyingly handsome smirk played on his lips.

"Oh, shut up." Bella grumbled playfully around the toast in her mouth.

Bella took in his worn features and worried over him not getting enough sleep. She recalled his words from the night of the beach party, when she clumsily tried to explain how much she'd changed. _I'm different too,_ he'd said. The cancer might be gone, but it felt like it had also infected Taylor and every other facet of her life.

She pushed the tray aside once she was finished with her breakfast.

"You want to talk about what happened yesterday?"

"Not really." Bella traced a pattern on the bed with her finger.

"How do you feel about talking to someone?" Taylor suggested gently.

"You mean like a psychiatrist?" Bella was taken aback when Taylor nodded. She couldn't keep the defensiveness out of her response. "I'm not crazy."

"I never said you were," Taylor said, his tone even.

"Then why do you think I need to see a shrink?"

"Keeping everything bottled up inside you can't be healthy."

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you see someone about your night terrors?" Bella challenged hotly.

"You know I can't." Taylor frowned at her.

Bella immediately regretted her harsh words. She was the reason he was having night terrors to begin with. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just... I don't want to see a psychiatrist."

What would she say to a shrink? Oh she could only imagine what would happen the second she told someone about the voice inside her head that whispered things about deliciously warm blood, and urged her to seek out the darkness of the forest at night. How long would it take for the guys in white coats to show up and drag her away for electroshock therapy? Five? Ten minutes? She sure as hell didn't want to find out. Besides, if she couldn't confide in Taylor and her friends, spilling her guts to a virtual stranger was out of the question.

"It's okay. You don't have to go." Taylor relented after studying her face intently.

"You really mean it?" She was confused by how quickly he backed off.

"I won't make you go if that's not what you want." Relief washed over Bella until he said, "But if you have another anxiety attack, we'll have to talk about you going back on your meds. Deal?"

"Deal."

Going back on anti-anxiety pills was the last thing she wanted, however she knew he feared she'd have another attack when he wasn't around. She suppressed a shudder at the thought of being on her own, and freaking out in a room full of people. Taylor wouldn't always be around, so she would have to start looking for ways of calming herself.

She wished the doctors had given them some sort of timeline to work with. When would she get over losing her hair? When could she start looking forward to feeling normal again? Why didn't any of her doctors warn them that brain surgery would alter her personality?

She rested her head against his chest and inhaled his wonderful, fresh from the shower scent. His arms encircled her, drawing her closer. All was right in the world when they were together like this. Too bad the peaceful moments couldn't last forever. "What happened to us, Taylor?"

"Life."

"I keep thinking about how perfect everything was." Heart in her throat, Bella remained hesitant to broach a topic they'd both ignored for so long. "If I had one wish, it would be to go back in time before the tumor and... Evan."

Almost immediately, Bella felt Taylor stiffen and withdrew from her, both physically and emotionally. His face was unreadable, the warmth gone from his eyes. He refused to meet her gaze.

"Taylor, please look at me." She pleaded desperately as he reached for the tray and stood.

"I have to make a grocery-run. Zach and Ryan haven't stopped eating since we moved in." He headed for the door.

He finally stopped when Bella implored, "Taylor, please." _Say you forgive me for breaking your heart. Tell me it wasn't all my fault_. Her pleas remained unvoiced as she stared at his unmoving back.

Keeping his back to her, Taylor spoke, "I'll check in on you when I get back."

He left closing the door quietly behind him.

Ignoring the aching pain in her heart, Bella held back the tears.

"So much for talking about things," she whispered to an empty room.

Hours later, Bella was still in bed. After Taylor's hasty departure, she showered and changed into clean clothes with the hope that she'd feel better. She didn't.

At some point she knew she'd have to leave her room and face the world again, but the longer she stayed in bed, the less she wanted to leave it. Why get up? What was the point of it all? She was beginning to slide down a slippery slope, and the dark pit of depression waited at the bottom to swallow her whole.

The worst part of it was Taylor still hadn't returned from the store. Probably lingering in the grocery to check out all the healthy, sexy women. She had the sneaking suspicion he was avoiding her. And yet why would he come back anyway? She'd ruined his life. If she were Taylor, she wouldn't want to be around her either.

Bella was still in the same spot when someone knocked on her door.

Angela let herself in when Bella didn't answer. "Hey, how are you feeling?" She inquired gently.

Bella dragged her eyes away from the ceiling. "What is it?"

"Some people are here to see you." Angela smiled, hoping to coax a similar response out of Bella.

She was sorely disappointed when Bella said, "Tell them to leave. I don't want to see anyone."

"I thought you'd feel that way." Angela sighed and reached for the doorknob. "Let me just apologize to you right now."

"For what?"

"For this." Angela opened up the door and a determined Liz marched in.

"You have guests." Liz propped both hands on her hips.

"So I've heard." Bella rolled her eyes.

"You're being rude."

"Don't care."

"I know you feel awful because your wig fell off, but you can't mope around forever." Her expression softened in sympathy.

"Go away, Liz." Couldn't a girl lie in her depression pit in peace?

"You know what? I'm sick of this." Liz shocked both women when she stood on the bed.

"What the hell?" Bella murmured as Liz scowled down on her.

"Isabella Swan, you get your skinny, pale butt up from that bed right now!"

"You're wasting your time, Liz."

"I said now! Move. Your. Ass." Each word was punctuated with a kick to said ass.

Bella scrambled out of bed, rubbing her sore butt. "Ow! What is your problem?"

Liz landed on the floor with a soft thump, standing between Bella and the bed. "You are my problem. You will _not _go through depression again. Not on my watch."

The thought occured to just go around Liz and crawl back into bed, but Angela read her mind. "It's not worth it, Bella."

This was ridiculous. "This is my house, you know?" Bella cried in frustration.

"Two words, Izzy. _Squatter's rights_. Now out!" Liz slapped her hard on her butt.

From there Bella was chased out of her room with a couple more well-placed slaps. A grudgingly slow descent down the stairs earned her another smack and increased her pace. Zach and Ryan were also missing, leaving Bella to assume they'd accompanied Taylor to the store.

In the living room, Emily, Kim and Rachel could barely contain their giggles when a sour-faced Bella entered, followed by Liz and Angela. Of course they'd heard everything that had gone on upstairs.

"Well, we'll leave you guys to talk." Liz smiled ever so sweetly.

Both Liz and Angela received dirty looks from Bella as they went into the kitchen.

"We came to see how you were doing." Acute concern was in Emily's voice as she laid a hand on Bella's.

It was all Bella could do to sit still and not recoil from Emily's touch. She did not want their pity and she certainly did not want to relive one of the most humiliating experiences of her life. As it was, she already felt like a freak.

Her smile was strained. "I'm all right."

"I wanted to apologize for what happened with JJ." Kim appeared genuinely remorseful for any embarrassment she thought her son might have cause Bella.

"You don't have to do that, Kim. It wasn't JJ's fault. Seriously, you guys didn't have to come all the way out here to check on me." In Bella's opinion she should be the one apologizing–to Amy. Amy didn't invite Carmen to her daughter's party over fears of it being ruined. And yet, Bella ended up being the one to ruin everything by making a spectacle of herself. Why didn't she just stay home?

Kim used her elbow to nudge Rachel, breaking her out of her preoccupation with the living room furniture.

"Nice house." Rachel's offhanded comment made Bella frown in confusion. "Anyway, we're going to a nightclub this Friday. Sort of a last minute engagement party thing. Were wondering if you'd like to come?"

The last thing Bella wanted to do was party. With her luck, she'd have a seizure in front of everyone. "I appreciate you guys thinking about me, but I don't feel up for–"

"We'd love to go." Liz interjected on Bella's behalf. Standing behind her, Angela shrugged her shoulders.

It came as no surprise to Bella that Liz had been listening in on their conversation. Bella sighed. "Liz–"

Liz walked around the couch and sat next to her. "Oh come on, Izzy. We haven't done anything like that in so long. It'll be fun. _Please_." Liz's plea was accompanied by green puppy-dog eyes.

Bella scanned all of their expectant faces and resigned herself to a night out on the town. "Fine."

A reluctant smile came to Bella's face when Liz started seat-dancing and cheered, "Whoo-hoo!"

* * *

Leah opened the door, saw Bella standing on her porch and promptly slammed it in her face.

"Open the door, Leah!" Bella used her fists to pound on the hardwood.

"I thought I made myself clear, Bella! What part of _we're not friends anymore_ don't you understand?" Leah shouted from the other side of the door.

"I'm not going away, so you might as well talk to me."

"Go away!"

They'd been going back and forth like this for a while with no progress. Heaving a sigh, Bella turned around to leave and saw Liz sitting in the car parked in front of Leah's house. It took a little prodding but Liz had convinced her to try and work things out with Leah. At this point, even Liz was ready to give up as she shrugged her shoulders in disappointment.

Bella took a step and then stopped. Was she really going to give up on their friendship and let things end like this? Spinning on her heel, she tried the door and to her surprise, felt the doorknob turn easily in her hand. A nerve rattling growl was heard when she let herself into the house and close the door.

"I should have you arrested for trespassing. Get out of my house." Leah said with a fury that made Bella second guess the wisdom of breaking into a werewolf's home.

"I didn't pick Emily over you." Determination straightened her spine. Bella was not leaving until Leah heard her out.

"Bullshit! You didn't tell me because I'm not soft and sensitive like Emily. You thought I wouldn't understand what you were going through." Leah balled her fists. "Well, I might not know what it's like to have cancer, but I know what it feels like to have everything you've ever wanted one day and have it all taken away the next."

Bella looked away, trying to breathe through the pain Leah's quiet words had unearthed.

"More than Emily, I know what it's like to have something change you forever. And no matter what you do, you'll never get back the piece of yourself you lost. You should've told me, Bella, because more than Emily, I know how you feel."

Bella caught a glimmer of hurt in Leah's eyes before she walked away.

"I didn't want Alice to hurt my friends!" Bella shouted and Leah froze mid-step.

"What?"

"When I was first diagnosed, I was devastated, Leah. One minute Taylor and I were planning this incredible life together and the next everything was in shambles. I'll admit it was my idea to hold off on telling people. I just wanted a little time to process things and plan my next step. So everyone agreed to wait until I was ready. But after a couple of months, I got scared and changed my mind. I wanted to call you. I wanted my parents, but Alice went crazy."

_I won't let you endanger your life over a couple of mangy mutts!_

It was the moment she realized that Alice had become unhinged. Alice had been willing to do anything - including becoming a monster - to save her life. She'd sacrificed their friendship and her marriage, all for what she thought was the greater good.

Confused, Leah shook her head. "I don't get it. The Cullens have never been our biggest fans, but I don't remember Alice hating us."

"Alice was under a lot of pressure back then." Bella shook her head at her own ridiculousness.

Why was she still making excuses for Alice Cullen? She reminded herself of all the terrible things Alice had done–stalking her for weeks, sabotaging her food, gas-lighting her to the point of constant paranoia. And those weren't even the worst things Alice ever did to her. Despite this, Bella still found herself torn between fierce love and a powerful hatred for Alice.

"Carlisle and Alice relied on her visions to figure out what treatment plan to go with. There would be side effects no matter what we decided on and she needed to be able to predict them. She can't use her visions around werewolves. So you being there…"

"Would've gotten in the way of Alice helping you," Leah completed the sentence, understanding dawning in her eyes.

"It was hard, Leah. I had no idea how awful the chemo would make me feel." Bella dropped her head and wrapped an arm around her middle. "I wanted to call you but Alice said that if I didn't care about my own life, I'd better start caring about the lives of the people around me."

"She threatened them?" There was a murderous rage in Leah's eyes.

"After I started chemo, she pressured me to move everyone into their house. By then I was too weak to fight her on it. I'm not sure if Alice would've done anything to Liz and the others, but I didn't want to call her bluff. Alice had always been a little off but what happened to me changed her. It messed with her mind."

Bella decided to keep Charlie and Renee away, just in case. With Charlie dating Sue, Bella was afraid the pack would find out. Alice monitored all her calls and she hadn't been allowed to leave the house alone. In a weak moment, she wrote to Jacob, asking him to come to Hanover. She ended up having to smuggle the letter out to him. But he never got it.

"Did Zach know about Alice holding you hostage?"

Bella winced at the word _hostage_. But there was no better word to describe being imprisoned in a house with an insane vampire who thought she was saving your life.

"No he doesn't. None of them do. As far as everyone knows, keeping you and my parents away was my choice." Nobody knew and Bella intended to keep it that way. She could only imagine the crushing guilt Taylor would feel if he knew what Alice had done to her while they were broken up. She would do everything in her power to ensure he never found out. Their relationship was under enough strain as it was.

"But Emily..." Leah's resolve to stay angry at her was crumbling.

"Emily just happened to call the day I found out about the tumor. I didn't plan to tell her, but I ended up blurting it out." Poor Emily got the shock of her life that day. She'd called to tell Bella about Rachel and Paul's engagement, but ended up being burdened with a secret she had to keep from her husband and pack.

"Zach didn't betray you. And I never stopped being your friend, Leah. Whether you believe it or not, it's the truth."

Bella turned to go, feeling too raw and emotionally exhausted. All she wanted to do was find a quiet corner to lick her wounds and rebury the memories. As always, talking about the past only brought the pain back. Nothing good ever came from picking at barely healed wounds.

"How's Zach?"

Bella twisted on her heel but couldn't bring herself to meet Leah's gaze. Too afraid she'd burst into tears. "He misses you, Leah. You should call him."

"I will, Bella, but first..." A softness in Leah's voice made Bella look at her. Leah quickly closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tight hug.

And for the first time, Bella felt as if she was finally allowed to let her tears flow.

* * *

"Are you ever going to talk to me?"

"We're talking right now." Jacob spoke without removing his eyes from the moving figures on the TV screen.

"You slept on the couch last night." She took the remote from his hand and the screen went blank.

Jacob ran a hand across his stubbly jaw. A fight with Carmen was the last thing he needed right now. He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night or the couple of nights before that. Thoughts of Bella had continued to occupy his thoughts and he'd been powerless to keep his mind from repeatedly going over the scene at Claire's party. After staring at the ceiling for hours, he gave up and went to make a few sweeps around the reservation.

"I came in late from patrolling. Didn't want to wake you."

"You _slept _on the couch last night." Carmen sank into the space beside him, more hurt than he'd ever seen her.

He opened his mouth to provide her with some sort of an explanation, only to come up empty. Though Jacob had grown accustomed to sharing a bed with her, what used to be comfortable and tolerable, had begun to feel peculiar to the wolf. There was no way to explain that to Carmen without upsetting her even more.

"I know you feel like you don't know me anymore but I haven't changed, Jake."

Jacob was beginning to see that was the problem. Four years had gone by and Carmen hadn't changed one bit. Her life and her career were still her main priorities.

"Please do not let Bella Swan come between us."

His next words were delivered through gritted teeth. "This isn't and has never been about Bella."

As much as Carmen wanted to pretend their problems only started after Bella showed up, Jacob knew better. The conversation they were about to have had been a long time coming. He was tired of feeling alone whenever it came to pack issues. Carmen was supposed to be his partner in all things and yet, more often than not, he found himself handling everything on his own.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes to get us back on track."

Carmen's vow would've been far more touching if he hadn't heard it before.

"Whatever it takes, huh?" His eyes narrowed, mouth twisting sardonically and Carmen nodded. "Then fine. If you really want to do this then we'll do it."

He turned to face her. Sugarcoating and dancing around the issue had gotten him to this point with Carmen. "I want you to quit hiding behind your job, and start taking an active role in the pack. Stop complaining every time I step foot outside this house to patrol, you knew what I was when we got together. Being Alpha is not a game. It's not a fun little pastime I can walk away from whenever you get tired of being the Alpha's mate. The late nights, the dinners alone, missed vacations. This is the life you signed up for. You need to decide if you're in this with me or not."

The blame for the splintered pack, rested squarely at his feet. Carmen had a way of making him lose sight of what was most important when it came to the stability of the pack. He'd done Carmen–and by extension the pack–no favors by coddling her.

Carmen looked down at her hands folded on her lap. "I guess I deserve that."

"I guess you do." Jacob said without an ounce of sympathy.

"You're right. I have been using work as an excuse to avoid being around Kim and Rachel. I'll even admit that I haven't been doing my share, but your sister has never made it easy for me. It's gotten even worse now that Bella's back. I can't do it alone, if the others won't try too." He knew Carmen was telling the truth. If she was to become an important part of the pack, he would have to get his sister off her back.

"I'll talk to Rachel and the others, but respect is something you have to earn, Carmen. It's also a two way street." He said and Carmen flinched. He no longer believed that she was completely blameless for the animosity among the wolf girls.

He glanced at the clock and stood. "I have to get going."

"Will I see you later tonight... Upstairs?" She asked hesitantly.

Jacob would do his part to ensure Carmen's insecurities would not get the better of her. She needed to believe that he wouldn't chase after Bella again. Sleeping on the couch didn't exactly scream togetherness.

"Sure." He smiled.

Irritation prickled along Jacob's spine the moment he stepped onto the porch and picked up Quil's scent.

"What are you doing here, Quil?" Jacob hadn't seen the other wolf since the party, when he warned Quil to steer clear of him for the next couple of days. He'd barely been able to restrain himself from kicking Quil's ass in front of a bunch of kids. That snide remark he made about Bella was beyond cruel. He'd had enough of Quil running his mouth.

"About that comment I made after Bella's-" He stopped when Jacob leveled him with a hard stare. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

"Of course you didn't." Jacob said, his expression one of outright skepticism.

Quil raised an arm and scratched the back of his head. "Look, I'm going to level with you. I don't like Bella. I think she's bad news, and that her being here is going to cause trouble in the pack. It's happening already. Loyalties are shifting and it's all because of her. But despite how I feel about her, I'm no monster. I wouldn't kick her when she's down."

Jacob held his temper in check, allowing the wolf's dominance to show in his eyes. Unable to hold his gaze, Quil jerked his head away with a curse.

"I'm heading in. You want a ride?" Jacob assumed he ran here.

"Yeah."

They drove in silence until Quil asked, "So, Carmen's really gonna step up?"

"So she says."

"Give her a chance, man. She might surprise you."

"You're pretty loyal to her, aren't you?" Jacob slid him a side glance. On the beach, Quil had also supported Carmen's _rough play_.

Quil shrugged his shoulders. "Carmen might be scarce around the pack, and a little high maintenance but she's loyal to you. She's here and she's been here for the last four years. She never punked out and ran away from you. At the end of the day, you can be sure you'll always come first with Carmen. You ended up with the right woman. Whether you want to admit it or not, Bella's loyalties will always be divided. You'll never have all of her heart."

Jacob wasn't sure he agreed with the whole coming first thing. Carmen's job always came first with her. Her passion for helping people was one of the things he loved most about her. He just wanted the pack to be somewhere on her list of priorities.

Bella.

She fell apart right in front of him and he'd been powerless to stop it. When he tried to help her, she shrank away from his touch. There was a time when Jacob would've known exactly what to do to help Bella. He used to be her lifeline, her anchor, her rock. Resentment churned inside him when he recalled the way Taylor rode in on his white horse to save the day. Jacob didn't know how to be okay with not being the one Bella turned to when she needed someone. Ever since then he was continuously tormented by feelings of inadequacy. He couldn't stop feeling like he'd failed her.

It had been easier to ignore her, to pretend she didn't exist when she was away at college. But he couldn't do that anymore. When she said they couldn't be friends and walked away, something shifted inside him. Under the anger and bitterness, he missed her. He was more than a little ashamed that it took Bella almost dying to make him realize he still wanted her in his life.

Even after knowing Jacob had been completely in the dark about the cancer, she still didn't trust him. Not really.

_You'll never have all of her heart._

Truer words had never been spoken. A wolf needed to know that his mate possessed him as much as he did her. First it was the leech and now it was Mr. Wonderful. At least with Carmen, no other man came before him.

Still, he couldn't just shake off his concern. It felt like a craving, this gnawing need to make sure she was all right.

Overcome by a burning need for answers, Jacob dropped Quil off at the workshop and then drove into Forks to pay Charlie a visit.

Charlie answered the door, wearing an apron. His eyes lit up in surprise. "Jacob? What brings you by?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Sure, come on in."

Jacob crossed the threshold and felt Bella's presence before he smelled her.

_She's here._

Bella's scent was all over the house and the steady beat of her heart could be heard from where Jacob stood.

"Taylor dropped Bella off an hour ago, but we can still talk. She's sleeping upstairs." Charlie added pasta to a boiling pot of water.

"Is she okay?" Jacob tried not to sound too concerned as he claimed a seat at the kitchen table. Why was she sleeping in the middle of the day?

"She's good. Just gets a little tired every now and again. What's on your mind?" Charlie continued his task of cutting up vegetables.

"I need answers, Charlie. Given the way we left things, I get why Bella didn't keep me up to date on what was happening in her life. What I don't understand is how you could think I would know she was sick and not care."

"I saw how hard you took it after she went away to college, and how much you worked to get your life back on track. When Bella told me you knew, I just thought you were protecting yourself. I have to admit, I was-"

"Disappointed in me." Jacob interjected and Charlie shook his head.

"Not disappointed, Jake. Just sad that things had changed so much between you two." Charlie began to slice a tomato."You'd moved on with Carmen. I thought you didn't want to open yourself back up to that kind of pain again."

"Dad said you didn't know until things got bad."

Charlie's mouth thinned, his expression darkening. "I think the plane-ride was most terrified I'd ever been. Carlisle and Esme met me at the airport and explained everything on the drive over. By the time I got to the house, I was so angry. At Bella, the Cullens, myself. You see, I had the feeling something was wrong all year and yet I didn't make the time to go check on her. Before I was allowed to see her, they had me shower and put on hospital scrubs and a face mask. But all my anger just disappeared when I saw her."

Jacob found the words to say. "It was bad."

"At first I couldn't recognize her. She was hooked up to so many machines. She'd gained weight and all of her hair was gone. I'd never seen anyone so pale that wasn't dead before. And then I noticed Renee holding her hand. I just broke down and couldn't talk for half an hour." Charlie swallowed hard. "Be grateful you never had to see her like that, Jake. I thought I would have to bury my only child."

Jacob wasn't grateful. He wanted to be there for her and would've been had he known. Nothing on earth would've kept him away if he'd known she was sick.

Charlie's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I remember something that happened over a year ago. Every time I called Bella, her voice sounded strange on the phone. Her speech was slurred and she kept stumbling over her words. So the next to it happened, I chewed her out over the phone for overdoing it with alcohol. Told her I was disappointed in her. Do you know what she said to me?" Charlie asked, his face tight with shame.

Jacob could only answer with the shake of his head.

"She apologized for letting me down and promised to do better." A sad smile. "I couldn't have known that brain surgery had affected her speech. I could've wasted a lot of time blaming myself, when I found out the truth, but I knew that wasn't what Bella needed. At some point, you just have to let go of all the anger because it won't do you any good. You can't change the past. The best anyone of us could do is move forward."

Despite his encouraging words, Jacob knew Charlie would never forgive himself for the things he'd said to his daughter. Jacob saw the similarities in their situation. Both men were still beating themselves up for something they had no control over. Neither man had been able to help Bella when she'd most needed them.

"How is she, Charlie? Really." The question leapt off his tongue before he could stop it.

Charlie furrowed his brow as he regarded Jacob. His gaze was a touch too knowing for Jacob's liking. "She's... struggling with something. She won't say what, but I think it has something to do with Taylor." Charlie paused as if trying to decide how much to reveal. "After they found out about the tumor, something happened between them and Taylor ended things for a while."

Jacob managed to keep his expression stoic, but he was livid on the inside. What could possibly drive Taylor to abandon her at a time like that? He could only imagine how alone she must have felt. Aside from his concern for Bella, the wolf was alert and soaking up the news about her relationship troubles.

Charlie turned back to the stove. "Anyway, they got back together, but it hasn't been smooth sailing. Something's eating at her and she won't talk about it with anyone, not even Taylor. I think he's worried about her too."

As much as Jacob needed to know the whole story, Bella wasn't ready to share it with him. It wouldn't be right to push her into revealing things she wasn't ready to talk about yet.

"I heard there was an incident on the beach." Charlie commented mildly.

Jacob met cold, brown eyes that were so much like Bella's.

Sue would never tell Charlie, so Jacob was left to assume it had been Seth.

"I took care of it. It will never happen again." He told Charlie firmly.

"My daughter has had enough grief to last a lifetime. The next time Carmen pulls a stunt like that, girlfriend or not, I'll slap the cuffs on her myself. We clear?" Charlie spoke in a calm tone that let Jacob know he meant every word.

"Crystal." Jacob replied, completely unfazed by Charlie's threat. He would expect nothing less from the chief of police or a father.

"You sure you don't want to stay for lunch? Bella should be up any minute now." Charlie asked when Jacob stood to leave.

"I don't know. Let me step outside to make a call and get back to you." He hadn't checked in with the wolves on patrol, and he still had a bed-frame to complete back at the workshop. And yet he couldn't pass up the chance to see if Bella was all right with his own two eyes.

"Sure. I'll go wake Bella." Charlie set the spoon aside and turned off the stove.

Exiting through the kitchen door, Jacob headed straight for the trees in the backyard. He never went more than a few hours without checking in on the pack. It also had the added benefit of keeping them on their toes. In the safety of the forest, he quickly shed his clothes and phased.

Paul was giving him a status report on a trail of a vampire they'd been tracking, when a crash and Bella's scream had him running back toward the house, ready for battle.

Bella looked up from the shards of broken glass on the floor when she heard the loud clicks of long toenails across the back porch. Her frightened eyes landed on Jacob's fearsome figure, anxiously peering though the window and she screamed again. This time in fright.

"Bella, you okay?" Charlie called from upstairs, his voice echoed off the tiles in the bathroom.

"I ah... I'm okay. I accidentally dropped a plate." Bella answered shakily without removing her eyes from Jacob.

Jacob left the window and came to the opened kitchen door.

She approached him carefully, one hand still clutching her chest.

"Oh my God. Jacob?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Even after four years apart, she still remembered what his wolf looked like.

This pleased his wolf so much that... The unthinkable happened.

His tail began to move.

No. Not move, wag.

Werewolves did **not **wag their tails.

Jacob tried to get a grip on himself before Bella noticed, but his wolf was not having it. His attempt at control failed miserably. The wolf was happy to be this close to her and didn't give a damn who knew. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the other wolves to catch on.

_What's he doing?_ Luke was the first to notice.

_Wait, is he… wagging his tail? _Adrian dared to ask.

_No way. Jacob doesn't do that. He just has a spasm, that's all. _Paul reassured the young ones, though the barest hint of doubt was still present in his voice.

_A spasm in his tail?_

_I said it's a spasm. End of story! _Paul insisted because the thought of his Alpha–the most terrifying werewolf who ever lived–wagging his tail like a family pet was too disturbing to comprehend.

"Jeez. You're a giant." Bella extended a hand. Her fingers were mere inches away from touching his nose when Jacob heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

Charlie entered the kitchen and froze when his gaze landed on Jacob.

"Oh God. Dad... I..." Eyes wide with shock, Bella seemed to be locked in a state of speechlessness as she scrambled for a way to explain away the presence of the giant wolf lurking in his doorway. Then in a completely ineffective move, she threw herself in front of Jacob with her arms outstretched. A sad attempt to protect or hide him, Jacob didn't know.

The silence was deafening until Charlie looked at Jacob, his eyes intense with scrutiny. "Hey, Jake."

Stunned, Bella's mouth fell open and Charlie smirked, "You're not the only Swan that knows how to keep a secret."

* * *

Jacob decided to accept Charlie's offer to stay for lunch. Bella dominated most of the conversation, talking animatedly about the cafe she was going to open with Leah. Jacob was relieved the women had made up as he had been seriously thinking about paying Leah a visit.

He sat across from her, absorbing the subtle changes in her mannerisms. Her slightly elevated pulse, the mild flush in her cheeks, and the excitement in her eyes as she bounced from one topic to the next were all new to him. He'd never known Bella to be the spirited type. Yet whenever there was a lull in conversation, she'd get a haunted look of sadness in her eyes. The wolf looked on too, fascinated by her ability to appear cheerful and sorrowful at the same time.

Each time he managed to tear his eyes away from her face, he found Charlie watching him with an unreadable expression on his face. Although his features gave nothing away, the shrewdness in his gaze missed nothing.

When lunch came to an end, Bella balked at Charlie's suggestion that Jacob drive her home. Outnumbered two to one, she reluctantly followed Jacob to his truck. The space inside the vehicle was silent, except for the occasional bursts of music as Bella flipped from station to station. Dissatisfied, she switched the radio off and sat back in her seat with a restless sigh.

"I can't believe my dad knows about the pack."

Jacob worked hard to suppress his smile, remembering the shock on Bella's face. She'd genuinely been worried about how Charlie would react.

"Emily told me the elders voted against telling Charlie. How did he find out?"

"I told him."

"You did? Why?"

"I just felt like it was time he knew the truth." Plus Jacob could tell how much keeping their secret was taking a toll on Sue. She didn't want to lie to Charlie anymore, but couldn't go against the council. So he did it for her. Technically, Jacob had broken pack law by revealing himself to Charlie, but it had been worth the risk. What were they going to do, fire him?

"I would've loved to see the look on his face when you wolfed out in front of him." The sound of her laughter was infectious. How much effort did it take for her to appear so lighthearted and carefree?

"What the hell were you thinking, throwing yourself between us like that?" Jacob shook his head, amused at the memory.

"I don't know. I thought he might shoot you." She laughed softly but soon a weariness replaced her smile. "I'm glad he knows about you guys. Some secrets are way too heavy to carry alone."

"Did you tell Taylor about us?" He asked impatiently, wanting to know just how much Taylor knew.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, confused.

Jacob was so damn tempted to ask, _Did you tell him about our history? What we used to mean to each other?_ "Does he know about the pack?"

"What? Of course not!" She appeared genuinely insulted that he would ask such a question. "I haven't told anyone about you guys but..." She trailed off looking guilty.

"But what?"

"I had to tell them about the Cullens. It was just time."

"Did something happen?"

Her look turned solemn. "The Cullens came to Hanover when Alice had a vision of me dying. We moved in with them after I lo-" Bella pressed her lips together, her eyes closing for the briefest moment. "After I started treatment."

"So Edward knew." His jaw hardened against the wild rush of rage that threatened his self control. The leech was there with her, in the same house, while Jacob lived in ignorance. And knowing Edward, Jacob bet he used every chance he got to put his cold, dead hands on her.

His anger went largely unnoticed by Bella whose mind was a thousand miles away. "I knew the Cullens would have to work even harder to keep up their appearances. As hard as it was keeping that secret from Taylor, I just couldn't let my friends move in with vampires and not say anything. It would've been a betrayal."

A thought occurred to Jacob, temporarily dousing any resentfulness he might have felt. Even though keeping secrets weighed heavily on her conscience, she continued to do it anyway out of loyalty to the pack. A part of him wondered if she did it because she still cared about him on some level.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her studying him.

She jerked her head away. "Shit."

"Something wrong?"

"I have to make a call." She removed a phone from her pocket and dialed.

The voice of the man on the other end made his wolf growl. "Isabella?"

"Hey, Taylor. Just wanted to tell you not to come pick me up."

"Is your dad dropping you off?"

"Um, no. Jacob came by the house and he's giving me a ride." She bit her lip and shifted to face the window, knowing Jacob could hear every word of their conversation.

Jacob thought he picked up a hint of nervousness in her tone.

The line went silent for a few seconds and then Taylor asked, "Are you all right with this?"

Jacob gripped the steering wheel in white-knuckled rage. Was she all right with him driving her home? Was he some kind of a fucking ogre? It was all he could do to keep his eyes on the road. He settled the growling wolf with fantasies of snatching her phone and tossing it out the window.

"It's fine." Bella cleared her throat in embarrassment. "We're on our way now."

"Okay. So I'll see you at home in a bit. I love you."

"Love you too," Bella replied without hesitation and hung up.

Hearing Bella tell another man she loved him, was like nails on a chalkboard to Jacob's wolf. He tried to placate the wolf by telling himself, of course she loved Taylor. They'd been together for years. However all his reasoning failed when a poisonous thought crept in.

How long did it take for her to move on and forget about him? A week? A month? His anger returned with a vengeance.

"Why don't you have your own car?" His question came out harsher than he intended.

"I lost my license when I got sick." She admitted and he felt like an ass. "If I stay seizure free for six months, I can have it back. So... fingers crossed." She crossed her fingers and mustered up a shaky smile.

When the tension became too much to bear, Jacob and Bella both reached for the radio dial at the same time. Before their fingers touched Bella quickly snatched hers away and Jacob gave her a strange look. What? Did he have the plague?

"Don't worry. I won't touch you again. Leah said imprinted wolves don't like that." She planted her hands firmly in her lap.

So she thought he didn't want her touching him. Well, that would explain her odd reaction at Claire's party when she touched his arm.

"I'm curious. What else did Leah tell you?" Since he hadn't gotten around to lifting the 'no thinking about Bella' ban on Leah, he still had no clue what they talked about.

A nervous giggle. "Well she said that imprinted wolves were impotent when it came to other women."

It took a few seconds for Bella's words to sink in.

"What!" Jacob growled.

"It's _so _not a big deal that you're–"

"I am not impotent!" He gripped the steering-wheel so hard it almost broke in his hands.

Bella held up both hands in defense. "Look, I get it. It's natures way of making sure you save your wolf juice for your imprint."

"I'm sorry–_wolf juice_?!"

She turned a pretty shade of pink that complimented the warm glow in her eyes. "Sorry. Ever since..." She tapped her head. "I have problems with impulse control and most of my thoughts just come flying out of my mouth. Kind of like verbal diarrhea."

"Yeah, the explosive kind." Jacob grumbled, still pissed that she would even entertain the ridiculous notion of him being impotent.

Bella stared at him with raised eyebrows. "Jeez, you're really touchy about the whole erectile disfunction thing, huh?"

"That's it." Jacob abruptly pulled off the road and brought the truck to a screeching halt.

"What the hell, you nut-bag? If I wanted a dangerous ride, I'd hitchhike in a tube-top and thong–" Bella mouth snapped shut when he leveled her with a hard stare.

Placing a hand on the dash and the other behind the headrest, he leaned in until Bella's face was a few inches from his. Eyes wide, Bella flattened herself against the door. Her lips parted in surprise as she sucked in a startled breath.

"I am not nor have I ever been _impotent_."

He heard her heart thumping away in her chest, and yet he didn't smell any fear. He was close enough to feel the warmth of her breath on his face. The faint scent of chemo still lingered, mixed in with a hint of Taylor. But underneath, a sweet feminine scent still clung to her body.

Dark lashes lowered ever so briefly against her pale skin and when they lifted again, the bewildered look in her eyes was gone. She angled her head to the side, regarding him with a curious expression. Her pink lips curved in a faint smile, challenge dancing in her eyes.

"So what? You gonna whip it out and show me?" Bella sassed.

Insolent little–

A low, warning growl wiped the wicked smile off her face.

"All right, all right. You can satisfy every woman in Washington. Just don't eat me." She averted her gaze, turning her head to the side.

Unknown to Bella, exposing her neck to Jacob was a universal show of submission. The temptation to nip her neck in reprimand was overwhelming. When the hell did she get so mouthy? Still he managed to restrain himself, knowing that all _nipping _of any kind was strictly forbidden when it came to Bella.

An almost sacred hush descended in the confined space if the truck as they gazed at each other. Jacob tried to move away and discovered he couldn't, the wolf wouldn't let him. The wolf wanted him to trace her lips with his fingertips, but Jacob struggled against the compulsion. It was no easy feat with his control being ruthlessly shredded, one piece at a time, by the wolf.

"Hey, your eyes are doing that weird, big pupil thing again," she murmured softly and reached out to touch his face.

He flinched at her inquisitive touch and she quickly snatched her hand away.

Jacob forced his body back to his side of the truck, struggling to find his bearings. When she touched him, electricity charged through his body. He had the same experience when they shook hands at Claire's party. When her eyes met his, he knew she'd felt it too.

Impotent, huh? Jacob ground his teeth and predicted Leah would have some additional late night patrolling in the near future.

Jacob quickly put the car in gear and got them back on the road. He needed to get Bella out of his truck before the wolf made him do something he was sure to regret. What the hell had he been thinking, letting himself get so close to her? He should've known better.

In the tense silence, he felt Bella's questioning gaze on him but he refused to look at her. Four years ago, he would've been falling over himself to reassure her, but those days were long gone. It was better for all concerned to let Bella think that he was repulsed by her touch. He finally relaxed when she turned away with a soft huff. Unfortunately, in his haste to get her home and out of his truck, he unknowingly began to press down on the gas.

Jacob didn't notice he was speeding until Bella grumbled, "It would really suck to survive cancer, and then die horribly in a fiery car crash."

Bella quirked a wary eyebrow at the speedometer.

He eased his foot off the pedal.

One of her hands crept up, fingers anxiously tugging at her hair, a dazed expression on her face. She abruptly jerked out of her thoughts, realized what her hand was doing and forced herself to stop.

"You don't need to wear a wig, you know?"

When Bella abruptly stiffened, Jacob knew he'd hit a nerve.

"Right. Because bald patches are _so_ sexy," she snapped, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"You're still beautiful, Bells. That hasn't changed."

A couple of seconds ticked by before they both realized he'd called her _Bells._ She abruptly faced the window and Jacob smelled blood rushing to her face. Bella was blushing so hard, even her ears was red.

Jacob bit back a vile curse. He'd called her Bells. _Damn it!_

If Trevor were here with them right now, he'd tell Jacob he was backsliding. Trevor would also warn him against falling back into his old Bella chasing habits. Jacob remembered all too well what that had gotten him.

The pregnant silence grew when they turned onto her street. Jacob regarded all the large, expensive looking houses that line the street with their perfectly trimmed hedges and lawns.

"Nice neighborhood." Jacob commented.

"Yeah, Taylor picked it."

He smiled grimly to himself. Of course Taylor would move Bella to a place like this. The neighborhood had Taylor's name written all over it.

Jacob parked the car in front of the last house on the street.

"Thanks for the ride. I guess I'll see you tomorrow night." Bella smiled hesitantly before reaching for the door.

"Tomorrow night?" Without thinking, he reached out and captured her arm–to get answers, not to keep her from leaving.

"Yeah. Rachel invited us to the _Lair_. Didn't she tell you?" Bella cocked her head questioningly.

"No, she didn't." He released her, his lips thinned in disapproval. Damn. His sister was up to her tricks again. Did she really intend to invite Bella to every party they had?

"At first I didn't want to go, but Liz wouldn't stop talking about _shakin' her thang_ and now I'm kind of looking forward to it. I haven't partied in so long. It'll be nice to cut loose." Bella studied him intently, trying to read the expression stamped on his face. "You don't mind me being there, do you?" She raised a hand, stopping him when he opened his mouth to speak. "Don't answer that. If you said yes, I'd probably show up just to piss you off." She grinned and the wolf grinned back at her.

"Later, Alpha." She hopped out of his truck and went walking up the driveway. The space inside the vehicle suddenly felt a little emptier without her.

The front door opened and Taylor stepped out. Jacob wouldn't have been surprised if Taylor had been standing by the window the whole time, waiting for their arrival.

Taylor wrapped his arms around Bella, drawing her close. From where Jacob sat, he saw when Taylor buried his head in her neck and inhaled her scent. A wave of irrational anger washed over him as he watched Taylor's hands glide over the curves of her hips. Jacob understood the move for what it was, Taylor's instinctual need to reclaim his territory.

Just then Taylor lifted his head and caught Jacob watching them. Taylor's jaw clenched as if the very sight of Jacob offended him.

_Right back at you, buddy, _Jacob thought to himself, feeling the heat of the wolf's potent rage beneath his skin.

With one last wave at Jacob, Bella grasped the edge of Taylor's shirt and tugged him along as she entered their house.

Jacob drove back to the reservation with his mind in turmoil. How was he supposed to have a good time with Taylor there, when he could barely stand to be in the same room with the guy? How was Jacob going to squash the urge to beat Taylor to death with his own hands every time he placed them on Bella? More importantly, after seeing how inhibited Bella liked to get at parties, how the hell was he going to survive another night of her dancing?

* * *

**A/N: **Loving my new laptop. I usually take a few days off after I update, but I'm so excited for the next couple of chapters that I've decided to forgo my break in favor of getting the next chapter to you quicker. We'll see how my inspiration holds up.

**Back to the story**

Bella and Taylor's relationship just hit a snag.

Who's the mystery person Evan?

What do you think of Liz's version of tough love?

What do you think about Leah and Bella's reunion?

Do you think Carmen will keep her promise and make the pack a priority?

The wolf's aversion to Carmen appears to be growing.

Quil's definitely on Team Carmen.

How did you enjoy Charlie's response to Bella?

Jake called her Bells!

Calling Jacob impotent and talking about his wolf juice... Bella needs some tape for her mouth.

**Review and receive your teasers folks. You'll need them to tide you over.  
**


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